16 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a person of prayer, a shining example of how to live for God, as John also taught his disciples, Bible, closer to God, communicating sincerely with God, disciple, faith, fellowship, give us this day our daily bread, god, increase my awareness of you today, intimate interaction with God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Lord teach us to pray, LOVE, mar the day, mercy, peace, pray without ceasing, prayer, relationship with Christ, sincerely seeking God, slow my thoughts, supernatural help, the discipline of prayer, the Lord's prayer, the power and the glory, thine is the kingdom, true discipleship, wisdom
Luke 11:1b. Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Hurrah for the sun my people! Yesterday it battled the dark clouds mano-a-mano and won! Now, it wasn’t at it’s brightest, but it certainly provided enough light to prove it was daytime, and did not allow the dark clouds or their precipitation to mar the day. (smile) Let’s hope it can do the same on this lazy-day Saturday cloudy morning. So, having made clear our desire for good weather, let’s now turn to God and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, seeking His wonderful presence and closeness.
As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And it never ceases to amaze me, how with that simple prayer, I feel quiet and peaceful and somewhat closer to God. But then, I remember that’s exactly what I asked for, and if we ask for anything within God’s will, He will provide it. And seeking His LOVE, His closeness and presence are certainly within the boundaries of His will, so He will definitely provide them if we sincerely seek them.
And that desire to draw near to God reminds me of the instance in Luke Chapter 11, where the Bible states: ‘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. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one).’ (Luke 11:1-5)
Now that’s a slightly truncated version from the prayer Jesus gives in His Sermon on the Mount, where He ends it: ‘For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’ (Matt. 6:13) However, it’s all Jesus teaching us to pray, what we now call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ And I like this commentary on the matter: ‘When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t put on a seminar or give them techniques. He taught them by praying.’
Yes friends, that’s the beauty of our Lord and Saviour; He doesn’t always give us lectures on our demands or desires, but oftentimes jumps right into what we ask and does it without hesitation, shows us by personal example. In fact, that’s what His whole personal experience on earth was; a shining example of how to live for Almighty God, as He only did what the Father instructed Him to do. And yes, we don’t have all the supernatural powers that Jesus had, but we do have enough to help us to live right in His name, if we would only step up to the plate.
Now, if we’re wondering what motivated the disciples to ask Jesus to teach them to pray, this other commentary explains it rather nicely. ‘The disciples recognized that prayer like Jesus did it was humanly impossible. They needed supernatural help. They had found someone who could do for them what they were unable to do for themselves. “Teach.” The word “teach” means “disciple,” and it describes the very essence of the disciples’ relationship with Christ.’ Likewise it’s the same relationship that we have today with Christ, where we desire Him to teach us the way to truth and righteousness in this sinful and evil world.
And as this other commentary so rightly says: ‘For the follower of Jesus, our motivation is first and always to LOVE and serve, with graciousness and compassion – no matter what. Jesus’ invitation to follow him as a disciple demands involvement, engagement in the mission of LOVE. We are not supposed to be simply consumers of Christ’s redeeming LOVE.’ But, unfortunately that is exactly what too many of us do; live on Christ’s redeeming LOVE, without lifting a finger in true discipleship. Too many of us are too involved with out own selves and circumstances, and not enough with the fight that Jesus has set up for us to undertake.
But let’s not get away from the very important subject of prayer, which is currently so lacking in our society. Remember the words of Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians? ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17) Now that is something we ought to take to heart. As the scholars tell us, ‘the believer ought to remain in the attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’ That simply means that prayer should be a constant in our lives.
And we’ll end with these most valuable words and ideas on prayer, from the article on the subject found on the navigators.org website. They say: ‘The disciples didn’t ask for instructions on sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom. They didn’t request to be taught how to heal. They didn’t ask Jesus to teach them how to study the Scriptures. They asked Him to teach them to pray. They knew it was important. The Scriptures, after all, are full of exhortations to pray. And yet, those who follow Jesus repeatedly confess that the spiritual discipline they struggle with most is prayer. This form of communion with God holds the promise of intimate interaction with our heavenly Father. And that intimate relationship is the foundation for everything else we do as followers of Jesus.
A number of years ago, when veteran Navigator Ed Reis spoke to a group of pastors about the importance of prayer, he told them, “We already know enough about prayer. We just need to pray.” That’s probably true for most of us today. We don’t need more information about prayer—we need a new perspective on it, and we need to do it. That’s how we learn. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t put on a prayer seminar or discuss the various types of prayer or the biblical basis for why prayer was important. He didn’t give them techniques. He taught them by praying.
Our hope is that as you read the articles and stories on the following pages, that you’ll be motivated—not to learn new prayer techniques, or to “master” the discipline of prayer—but to spend time talking and listening to God. Becoming a person of prayer isn’t about learning to do it right—it’s about learning to engage God in conversation and about getting to know Him more intimately. It may not come naturally to us. It didn’t come naturally to the early disciples, either. But as we do it, we can ask—as they did—“Lord, teach us to pray!”
Oh friends, I certainly couldn’t put it any better than that! So please, please, let’s take it all to heart and sincerely make the effort to improve our prayer lives, which we all know need improving. (smile) Much LOVE!
…prayer is simply communicating sincerely with God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, agitate a complaining spirit, Bible, blameless and harmless, bless your Holy Name, climate change, compassion, complaining, crying our for help, do all things without murmurings and disputings, do not allow discontentment to fester, faith, Friday chant, give you thanks, god, grace, great is thy faithfulness, handle the unexpected storms, his compassions fail not, I may prove them, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lack of meat, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, problems escalating, rain bread from heaven, rain from the skies, restoring faith in you, return backsliders to your fold, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the example we faithful believers set, the right attitude, the simmering unrest, the sin of complaining, the sons of God, they are new every morning, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in my law, wisdom, wise guidance, without me ye can do nothing, without rebuke, ye shine as lights in the world
Philippians 2:14. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
Well, we were disappointed in the sun yesterday because it never won the battle with the dark clouds, and instead of blinding sunshine, those dark clouds poured down rain from late afternoon to late night. Now, today, when everyone’s shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ it appears to be another cloudy day, with li’l hope of the sun’s appearance. But as the ole people would say, ‘be thankful for small mercies,’ since it could have been snow and not rain pouring down from the heavenly skies. In fact, without the startling effects of climate change, at this time of the year, it ought to be snow and not rain.
And we’re not really complaining nuh, (smile) we’re saying, ‘Thank You Lord for life and LOVE this Friday morning, be it cloudy, sunshiny, rainy or snowy! As always, we give You Thanks and bless your holy name! Amen’ Now, that’s the proper attitude to display, regardless of our circumstances, although it’s much easier said than done, and we do need the Lord’s help to do it. As Jesus so rightly said, ‘For without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) At least nothing worthwhile or substantial. And as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5)
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! It surely is, for without the mercy and grace of God we cannot do anything, and without His awesome breath of life, we won’t even be alive! That just goes to show how much we owe to our wonderful God Jehovah! As Jeremiah so wisely said in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23) Yes friends, every day we get a new batch of grace, mercy and compassion! It’s like how Jesus taught us to pray: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt. 6:11)
And that’s how the Lord dishes out His largesse, just enough for every day. It’s like when the Israelites were complaining about food in the wilderness and the Lord, angered by their complaining, said unto Moses: ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day (only eneough for one day), that I may prove (test) them, whether they will walk in my law. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’ (Ex. 16:4-5)
In other words, every day, they would collect just enough for that day, except on the day before the sabbath, when they would collect twice as much, so they wouldn’t have to go and gather any on the sabbath. And for forty long years the Lord provided the Israelites with manna which they abhorred. But although it might not have tasted or looked as good as the food they had back in their bondage in Egypt, that manna kept them going strong and healthy in the wilderness, because it was food from Almighty God. And sadly, it’s the same way so many of us complain today about what we don’t have, forgetting all that we do have.
We could have ninety nine good things, but we’d rather complain about the hundredth thing that we’re lacking, instead of enjoying the ninety and nine that we already have. But I guess that’s the nature of the beast, especially in these selfish and greedy times, where it’s all about ‘Me, Myself, and I.’ And one of Israel’s greatest sins was complaining. Remember what we spoke of yesterday when they complained about the lack of meat, being tired of the tasteless manna. The Lord rained down so much quail flesh on them, that they got sick of it, then He smote them with a great plague. (Num. 11:18-33)
Oh friends, the Lord knows that sometimes things are difficult, and what we’d like, we don’t have, or are not getting, but He expects us to always have a good attitude and not complain as though life were so tough and He wasn’t looking after us. And it’s not that He doesn’t want us to come to Him with our problems, real or perceived, but it’s how we come to Him; not in anger and defiance, casting blame, where it doesn’t belong. Technically speaking, it’s not wrong to complain, but it’s how we do it, and if there’s really something to complain about.
Nowadays, most of what we complain about are either petty or nonsensical. As this commentary so wisely advises: ‘The sin of complaining is a sin that God deals with swiftly and severely. The example recorded for us in Numbers 11 reminds us of the awful, wicked sin of complaining in our own lives. Don’t minimize what God has provided for you, and do not allow discontentment to fester and agitate a complaining spirit.’
No my people. That is one of the worst things we can ever do. Instead, let’s remember this memorable advice from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:14-15) Yes my fellow saints, if we heed that wise advice, we will never go wrong…at least where complaining is concerned. (smile)
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant with confidence and humility, to ask for the divine help we so badly need to handle our earthly problems. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’ And right there in our prayer, we have the beginning of the answer to it; ‘by the example, we, your faithful believers set.’
Yes friends, we need to set a good example for the unbelievers to see, if we expect God to help us. Much LOVE!
…be careful how you complain…and what you complain about…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven, a strong will, according to the time of life, at the appointed time, Bible, Bible Study, clear direction for my life, curse, faith, favour, fighting a valiant battle, for with God nothing shall be impossible, god, good freinds, good health, I know that thou canst do every thing, indelibly written in our hearts, is any thing too hard for the Lord, is the Lord's hand waxed short, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, negative word, salvation, Sarah shall have a son, self-control, the Eye of the Needle Gate, the Lord created the universe and all therein, the Lord smote the people with a great plague, the Lord's hand is not shortened, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, Thursday Blessings, until it come out at your nostrils, wherefore did Sarah laugh, with God all things are possible, with men this is impossible
Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Oh friends, it’s Thursday, but unfortunately there’s no bright sunshine, only cloudy skies. However, the sun hasn’t given up, you can see it fighting a valiant battle against the dark clouds, and we might yet see it shining in all its glory later on in the day. For anything is possible when we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father running things! (smile) So don’t give up hope, don’t ever give up hope if Jesus is in your heart, for with Him in the lead, ALL things are indeed possible!
And not surprisingly, all through the Bible there are scriptures pertaining to that fact, with one of the best examples occurring after Jesus told the rich young man who wanted to be a disciple, to go and sell all his possessions and come back and follow Him. The young man went away sad for he was very wealthy. That led Jesus to say to the disciples: ‘Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly (it is hard for a rich man) to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt. 19:23-24)
On hearing that, the disciples were amazed, and wondered who then could get into heaven, for at that time it was commonly understood that the rich were blessed and had a place reserved for them in heaven. But Jesus was obviously trying to correct that misunderstanding, by saying that it was extremely difficult, but not completely hopeless for a rich man to enter heaven. And as per the saying that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven; the scholars explain. ‘That has been interpreted as a camel-hair rope going through a needle; or an actual camel squeezing through a small gate, “The Eye of the Needle,” next to the main gate of Jerusalem; or the absolute impossibility of a literal camel actually going through a tiny needle’s eye. This last usage is most likely.’
Consequently, the disciples in total amazement, asked, ‘Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:25-26) Now, as true believers in Christ, we ought to have those memorable words indelibly written in our hearts and souls never to be removed; but always there to give us confidence in our great God, even in the most dire of situations. And since we said that there several other places in the Bible where God’s omnipotence was either questioned or proclaimed, let’s look at a few of those instances nuh.
So, going right back to the earliest times, we have the Lord’s angel saying to Abraham that a child will be born to him and Sarah in their old age. But Sarah laughed because it was considered impossible to have a child at her advanced age. ‘And the Lord said unto Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ (Gen. 18:13-14) Yes friends, Sarah’s unbelief made the Lord testy. (smile) And I’m wondering here if it wasn’t because of Sarah’s laughter and unbelief, that the Lord actually waited so long to fulfill the promise, some twenty five years later, when Sarah was ninety and Abraham one hundred, just to show His awesome power. Who knows?
Then there’s this instance in Numbers 11, where the Lord promised that the Israelites who were clamouring for meat, would have so much meat: ‘That ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days: But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt.’ (Num. 11:19-20) And when Moses himself questioned the Lord’s ability to provide food for so many Israelites in the wilderness, (Num. 11:21-22) it obviously raised the Lord’s anger. ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.’ (Num. 11:23)
And later, the Lord caused a wind to come forth which brought quails from the sea, and the Israelites had more than enough meat to eat; there were quails a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and piled two cubits high. And the greedy Israelites ploughed into the meat like there was no tomorrow. But while they were eating the meat, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote (struck down) the people with a great plague.’ (Num. 11:31-33) Oh my people, it doesn’t pay to doubt the Lord’s power, or be greedy when He is already looking after you.
Then when Job repents of his audacity to question the Lord, and the Lord takes him to task, he finally says to Him: ‘I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee (no purpose of yours can be withheld).’ (Job 42:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends! Nothing the Lord desires can be thwarted by mankind! Next we turn to the prophet Isaiah, who in berating the Israelites for turning away from the God of their forefathers, calmly informed them: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:’ (Is. 59:1)
Yes my fellow saints, the hand of our God is never beyond the reach of salvation! Wherever we are, in whatever situation we find ourselves, His saving hand can always reach out and pluck us from the mire. As the prophet Jeremiah so rightly and truthfully says: ‘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 lastly, the occasion when the angel Gabriel came to tell Mary, Jesus’ mother, the awesome but difficult purpose God had in store for her. And as we all know, this young, innocent girl accepted God’s purpose without batting and eyelash, quietly accepting the angel’s departing words: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37) And so it was; Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, just like the angel said!
And in keeping with the Lord’s purposes, He’s bestowed on us undeserved blessings to further His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but we need to declare them so they can be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having accepted those blessings, we’re now expected to go out into the world and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, Much LOVE!
…if the Lord created the universe and all therein…then obviously nothing is impossible to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stubborn streak of disbelief, believe it when I see it, Bible, cast him into prison, climate change, debtor's prison, do also unto you, downfall of our society, endure to the very end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, forgiveness, forgiveness breeds forgiveness, God's total forgiveness, hands on the plough, have had compassion on thy fellow servant, have patience with me, hold our heads and bawl, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, if ye from your hearts, Jesus, Jesus Christ, likewise shall my heavenly Father, LOVE, mercy, not looking back, our sin debts' been paid by Christ, set free for sin forever, spring has sprung, sunshine lollipops and roses, thank God, Thank You Jesus!, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the parable of the unforgiving servant, the principle of forgiveness, the sins of the individual sinner, to a glorious future with Jesus, unforgiveness, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your trespasses
Matthew 18:35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses…!’ Well, we haven’t really reached the roses part as yet, but we’re certainly having sunshine and lollipops! Ah friends, they’re trying hard to make me believe that spring has actually sprung, and on this 13th day of March with temps already around 15 degrees Celsius, and bright sunshine splays it’s warmth and glorious light all over the neighbourhood, I am getting closer to believing. And yes, during the course of my many years in this climate, I’ve seen strange things happen at strange times, like snow in June, but I’m not quite ready to believe that spring has truly sprung at this early stage of the year.
In this case, I’m running with the world; I’ll believe it when I see it. (smile) And though I may be able to sit on my porch this afternoon for the first time this year, and watch people pass by, for the walkers will certainly be out today, a stubborn streak of disbelief keeps floating around in me. But I guess them’s the breaks. And I’ll just have to learn to handle it, all the while hoping that climate change proves me wrong (smile) In the meantime let’s see what the Bible has to offer this spring-like Wednesday morning. And it opened unto the parable of the unforgiving servant in the gospel of Matthew.
Now, unforgiveness is one of the biggest downfalls of our modern society. And in this parable Jesus expands on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, after He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which has this seminal statement smack dab in the middle of it. ‘And forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then Jesus follows that up with these memorable words. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15)
Oh my people, that is so plain and without any subterfuge, that even a fool ought to be able to understand it! If we don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. That’s so straightforward, yet so many of us supposed believers still hold unforgiveness, and all that it entails, in our hearts against others, yet go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins! How foolish and hypocritical is that eh! And in order to reinforce the power and importance of the principle of forgiveness Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant.
This servant, one who handled the Lord’s money, owed him some ten thousand talents, which amounts to millions of dollars in today’s money, and when the Lord called for payment, the servant was unable to pay, so the Lord ordered him and his family and all he had to be sold until payment was made. The Bible tells us then, that ‘The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him (prostrated himself), saying Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him (released him), and forgave him the debt.’ (Matt. 18:26-27)
Now that’s what you call forgiveness! Forgiving millions of dollars’! Wow! That sure was a big-hearted lord! However, the story continues thus: ‘But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence (approx.10 dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that (what) thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought (begged) him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.’ (Matt. 18:28-30)
Now that ought to make us hold our heads and bawl, although it’s exactly what happens in our selfish and unforgiving world today. But before we get further into the story, I want to raise one question of my own, one that has me shaking my head every time I hear about debtor’s prison. To my way of thinking, if you throw the debtor into prison until he pays the debt, how can he pay it locked up in jail, if he couldn’t pay it when he was outside? If you’re locked up you can’t work, there’s no way of making money, at least in the jails they had back then. Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave them out and allow them to work and so earn the money to repay the debt? But that’s just my crazy, eccentric way of thinking. (smile)
Anyway, when the other servants saw the unforgiving attitude of their fellowman, they went and told it to the Lord. Then the Lord called him and said: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35)
Oh friends, that’s what happens when we are forgiven, and don’t forgive! And the moral of the story? The One to whom the insurmountable debt is owed is our heavenly Father. The debts are the sins of the individual sinner, which none of us can ever repay. But instead of placing us in debtor’s prison, the Lord shows great compassion and forgives or cancels our debts, our sins. And per the scholars: ‘The picture illustrates God’s total forgiveness when dealing with our sins at the point of salvation. The debt has been paid by Christ and we are set free from it forever.’
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and worship Your Holy Name!’ And if that’s really true, then let’s see us be more forgiving than we currently are nuh. Let’s be big of heart like our heavenly Father. For remember, if you don’t forgive, He won’t forgive you either. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvelous position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’
Then there’s this proviso, the promise that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to be there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…forgiveness breeds forgiveness…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not faithless, believe it when you see it, Bible, blessed are they that have not seen yet believed, Christian walk, christianity, climate cahnge, confidence, faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, fellowship, god, gospel truth, hoe is necessary to life, hope, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, only believe, pay a heavy price, see it when you believe it, share His love with my neighbours, the air we breathe, the evidence of things not seen, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of the Blessed, the waremst winter, trust, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry
John 20:29b. blessed are they that have not seen, and have yet believed.
Then it was Tuesday, another sunny, spring-like day in my neighborhood. And recently we’ve been having so many of them, that I’m puzzled. But then, this morning, I beheld a few buds on one of the tress in my front yard and that almost made me believe that we’re really having spring in early March. Almost…but not quite… (smile) Ah Lord eh! This climate change situation is playing such havoc with God’s fine tuning of His universe. But we only have our foolish selves to blame. I don’t know why we unwisely thought that we could abuse the planet and it’s finely tuned eco-system for ever and not pay a heavy price.
And while we’re having spring in early March, this winter has also been the warmest one on record. A sad tale for the many businesses based on snow and cold weather. And since all the changes did not happen overnight, they will not be fixed overnight either. If we ever get around to seriously fixing them, what with so many of us believing that climate change is a fraudulent theory set up by conspiracy theorists. But if you have lived in these parts for at least twenty years, and have any common sense, you will notice that the weather patterns have indeed changed over the years. And if you’ve lived here for over fifty years, like I’ve done, then it’s a cinch for you to notice serious climate changes from the earlier times, unless you prefer not to see or admit them.
But it all goes right back to the simple theory that our parents taught us; if you don’t hear, you will feel. And that’s exactly what we’re doing right now; feeling the pain of climate change and all that it entails, because we were too proud and haughty to think that our marvellous machinery would ever cause us climate problems. But how long can you go on spewing all the smoke filled with the many different toxins in the atmosphere, and spilling the many toxic chemicals in the waterways without it coming back to bite us at some stage eh? We’re simply getting our just deserts.
And since so many in power don’t believe it’s really happening, or say they don’t, fixing the problems are not happening, or are not going to happen with the urgency it deserves. But yuh know what, all of that is secondary if we sincerely believe in the grace and goodness of Almighty God! And I just opened the Good Library to an interesting scripture from the gospel of Mark. It’s at Jesus’s trial before the high priest, where that august hypocrite, asked Jesus: ‘Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ (Mark 14:61-62)
Now, Christ’s reply incensed the high priest, made him tear off his clothes, and declared it the height of blasphemy, with the appropriate condemnation of death. However, for us believers, that answer was more than sufficient. It gives us confidence and keeps our faith strong in knowing that our Lord and Saviour is sitting at the God’s right hand and will eventually come back riding the clouds with His glorious army to take His people home at the Rapture of the church, then in the last days, after the Great Tribulation, His Millennial reign on earth!
That’s why HOPE and FAITH are so important in our Christian walk, for without them, we don’t have anything to hold on to. And what are those two things eh? Well, according to the 20th century Danish American Psychologist, Erik Erikson, ‘HOPE’ is necessary to life as the air we breathe. Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life is to be sustained, hope must remain, even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! If there’s no hope, then you might as well be dead. And it’s also important to note that without HOPE, you cannot have FAITH; because HOPE is a prerequisite of FAITH. It’s the former that enables you to have and continually sustain the latter. And what’s FAITH? The Bible tells us that ‘FAITH is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) In simple language, faith is hoping and believing for something that you don’t see at the present time, but expecting to get it at some later date.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for (it)? But we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance, determination) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) Yes friends, it’s all about HOPE and FAITH! And how do you get them? By sincerely believing in Christ Jesus, then studying God’s Word and living it in close fellowship with other believers.
Oh my people, belief is extremely important, for in God’s kingdom you don’t see it until you believe it, while in the world’s economy you have to see it before you believe it. That’s why HOPE and FAITH are so vital to Christianity. None of us have ever seen Jesus in the flesh, but we believe that He walked here on earth some two thousand years ago, and was who He said He was, the Messiah, the Son of God, and did the things they say He did, and will do the things He promised to do.
That’s why when His disciple Thomas refused to belief that Jesus was resurrected from the dead unless he personally saw Him and could touch His nail scarred hands and put his hands in His side, Jesus appeared to him and told him thus. ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless (unbelieving), but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have yet believed.’ (John 20:27-29)
And that’s us, my fellow saints, who haven’t seen Jesus in the flesh but yet, through hope and faith, believe that He is real and will continue to look after us to our dying day…and even beyond. Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) it’s now our duty to go out and the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only believe…with the help of hope and faith…only believe…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a beast before thee, Bible, caught up in the trappings, christianity, cry out for the living God, destroyed them all, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord, faith, fellowship, giveth grace unto the humble, go a whoring from thee, god, God is the strength of my heart, God resisteth the proud, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I have put my trust in the Lord, I have set the Lord always before me, I went into the sanctuary of God, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus, Jesus Christ, losing faith, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, MOnday oh Monday, my flesh also shall rest in hope, my flesh and my heart faileth, my glory rejoiceth, my heart and my flesh, my heart is glad, my portion forever, my soul longeth, our ever-loving Godd, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sincere fellowship, sincere repentance in our hearts, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, so foolish was I and ignorant, strong faith in Christ, submit yourselves to God, the God who heals, the prosperity of the wicked, then understood I their end, they that are far from thee shall perish, total surrender, turn from our evil ways, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion forever.
Monday, oh Monday! You beautiful day! Come on down and let us LOVE you like we ought to! Yes friends, like I’ve often said, we ought to treat Monday as a special day, because that’s when we’re supposed to be full of the most joy, strength and confidence after having fellowship on Sunday, with other believers in the presence of our wonderful and ever-LOVING God! But unfortunately, many of us get caught up in the trappings and goings-ons of a new week, and don’t use that newfound energy and confidence wisely.
But fear not my brethren, for though we do not make full use of our blessings, once we can say like the psalmist Asaph re The Prosperity of the Wicked from his famous psalm 73, we will be fine. Remember when Asaph was losing his faith because of the prosperity of the wicked, and only got wisdom and saw what was really happening and how the wicked, though they prospered here on earth, their end was to perish. He says: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of the Lord; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:17)
Yuh see friends, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell us. We can gather oodles of wisdom when we regularly go to God’s house in sincere fellowship. (smile) But, thankfully, Asaph woke up in time, got that divine perspective in the Lord’s house, and woke up saying: ‘So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart (my rock), and my portion forever.’ (Ps. 73:22-26)
And both the Sons of Korah and Bruh David make the same pronouncements in their palms. The Sons of Korah announce in Psalm 84: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (how lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.’ (Ps. 84:1-2) Meanwhile, in Psalm 16, Bruh David acknowledges: ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintenest (uphold) my lot… I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps. 16: 5; 8-9).
Oh my people, once we have those deep-seated faithful feelings like those men of God had, we don’t need to worry about anything, our God will protect us, will lead and guide us along the pathways He desires. That’s why Asaph could further declare: (chuh!!!) ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (all those who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare (yesss!!!) all thy works.’ (Ps. 73:27-28)
Ah my fellow saints, that’s what we spoke of yesterday in the Olivia Newton-John’s song; ‘Let Go and let God’: letting go, surrendering our all to Him and allowing Him to take full charge of our lives. That’s the only way to truly enjoy and appreciate the largesse of our great God! Remember what James tell us on the subject? ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10)
It’s all about turning to God, drawing close to Him, and humbling ourselves before Him. As James say earlier on: ‘But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:5) And Cousin Sol says it most clearly in Proverbs, one of the seven abominations that the Lord hates is a proud look (a haughty demeanour). (Prov. 6:16-17) So, it’s obvious that humility is an absolute must when we desire to come before the omnipotent God of this universe.
And since we’re in dire need of divine help in these extraordinarily evil and ungodly times, it’s only wise to go to the Creator, to the throne of grace with confidence, but also total humility to seek that fulfilling help we so desperately desire. So through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, let’s pray!
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 if we are wise, we will consider these potent words from our prayer: ‘if we turn from our evil ways.’ Now that is indeed the beginning of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…total security is only found in…total surrender to God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
10 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a formidable task, aligning our will with God's, All to Jesus I surrender, Bible, build our confidence, church is a two-way street, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassion, encouragement, faith, fellowship, finding strength through surrender, following God's word, god, goodness, he Lord has prospered my way, hope, human capacity to overcome challenges, in all your ways acknowledge Him, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lean not unto your own understanding, let go and let God, let the signs remind you, lost the will to trust, LOVE, make your paths straight, my life's journey, no spark to feed the flame, Olivia Newton John, passengers, purpose and intention, renew our vows, seeking God's guidance, surrender, the abundant life, the well of hope runs dry, thy thoughts shall be established, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, wisdom, you can't find direction, your courage fails you, your dreams are broken in the dust, your faith is a dying fire, your heart won't guide you home
Proverbs 16:3. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
And the days fly by so quickly, that without us even realizing it, Sunday has come around again. That means going to God’s house to fellowship with other believers, renew our vows and build our confidence for the upcoming week. And sadly, some of us don’t really realize that the awesome benefit of going to church on a Sunday is not merely to sing and praise God, but also very importantly to receive His strength and blessings so that we can handle whatever comes against us in the week with the utmost faith and confidence. Our God isn’t so selfish to tell us to come to church every Sunday just to praise and worship Him. No! He also has something valuable and important to offer us.
So when we implore us to go to church, it’s because visiting God’s house is a two-way and not a one -way street. (smile) And we’ll open today’s worship with a beautiful song of praise titled ‘Let Go And Let God,’ written by Olivia Newton John, in tandem with the American pianist-composer Kim Bullard, and the Canadian singer-songwriter Amy Sky, who also produced it. The website songfacts.com, tells us that the song comes from John’s ‘Grace and Gratitude Album, which is filled with inspirational songs influenced by various religions. It is designed for meditation and healing, with instrumental interludes between songs.
Olivia Newton-John is (was) Christian, but is (was) open to the teachings of other faiths. Inspired by the writings of Deepak Chopra and Carolyn Myss, “Let Go Let God” is a song about finding strength through surrender, something Olivia Newton-John did after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. Her cancer returned in 2017 and again in 2020, but she remained resolute, telling The Guardian (newspaper): “I see it as my life’s journey. It gave me purpose and intention and taught me a lot about compassion.” She passed away in 2022 at 73.
About 90 seconds into the song, the Buddhist chant of “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” comes in. This mantra was developed by the monk Nichiren (1222–1282) to signify the human capacity to overcome challenges and grow from them. The chant is designed to activate this power.’ However, we’ll leave out the chant today, because it’s too difficult to pronounce and may cause some confusion. (smile) And now that we know the song’s origins and what it stands for, let’s sing it, offer up sweet sacrifices of praise, in a mid-tempo soulful version, that will touch the hearts of all who hear it in heaven.
Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go – and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God. (Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – Chant… Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (4 times) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God. (Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Chant – Nam-myoho-renge-kyo (4 times) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go – and let God’
Ah friends, it definitely is an interesting song, filled with lots of faith and encouragement, but the major theme is total surrender to God, especially when you cannot find sufficient strength of your own to pull you up. And that’s wisdom in spades, for when you can’t handle a situation, the best thing is to turn to someone who can, as evidenced by Newton John’s own life’s journey. And our great God Jehovah can certainly handle any and every situation which may befall us.
Now, how do we surrender to God, you ask? This commentary succinctly explains it. ‘It involves seeking His guidance, following His Word, aligning our will with His, and relying on His promises. In this act of surrender, we find true freedom and peace. We release the burden of trying to figure everything out on our own and instead embrace the assurance that God is in control.’ I could not have put it any better myself friends. It’s all about giving our lives completely over to the Lord and allowing Him to lead and guide them. And we have a very relevant scripture from Cousin Sol that says it like it is: ‘Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov. 16:3)
And this commentary from the bibleref.com website enlightens us as to its meaning. ‘The best chance for success comes when plans are aligned with truth. That means those who submit to God’s will and seek Him are in a better position than those who ignore or reject Him. Following God is never a guarantee of earthly success (John 16:33).’ (Where Jesus tells us that in the world we will have trials and tribulations) ‘However, acting in accordance with truth and goodness removes many dangers from life (Proverbs 1:7; 13:20-22). When someone’s efforts are fully entrusted to God’s will and His control—when they are “committed” to Him—those labors are less likely to cause their own downfall.’
And to prove that surrendering to God is man’s best choice, we also have the same advice from Bruh David in Psalm 37: ‘’Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:5) And I like how the website bibleref.com uses the example of Abraham sending his servant to his relatives to search for a wife for Isaac. It says: ‘Abraham charged his servant with the formidable task of finding a bride for his son Isaac, and his servant was successful in the commission of the assignment. He did not depend upon his own intelligence or preference. He asked the Lord to guide him to the right person (Gen. 24:42-44). When he found Rebekah, the right person, he offered thanks to the Lord for guidance (Gen. 24:48). When he asked her parents for permission to take her to Isaac, he said, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way” (Gen. 24:56).’
It couldn’t get any clearer than that my faithful brethren. God is trustworthy right to the very end! And there are several other scriptures that advice us to put our absolute trust and faith in Almighty God, for we cannot ever go wrong by doing so. Thus, as bibleref.com further tells us: ‘When a believer sincerely depends upon the Lord for the understanding to do His will, he is not disappointed. Proverbs 3:5-6 counsels: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
And that’s the gospel truth my people! So let’s hope on this somewhat damp and cloudy Sunday morning in March of 2024, we will all heed those scriptural warnings, and wisely surrender our lives to our wonderful Creator, so that we can fully enjoy the abundant life that His awesome Son Jesus Christ died for us to have! Much LOVE!
…All to Jesus, I surrender…All to Thee I freely give…I will ever love and trust You…In Your presence daily live…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
09 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a laughing stock, according to his riches in glory, anger, Bible, christianity, consume it upon your lusts, desire to have, every imagination of, faith, from whence come wars and fightings, god, hate, hypocrite, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, LOVE, lusts that war in your members, my God will supply all your needs, only evil continually, pray in God's will, prayer the greatest privilege, quiet my soul, slow my thoguths, strife, tenderness, that I may know you all the more, that ye love one another, the church is a spiritual adulteress, the Love of Christ, the presence of God, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy, the thoughts of his heart, the wickedness of man was great, these things I command you, this is my commandment, wisdom, ye ask amiss, ye have not because ye ask not, ye kill, ye love one another as I have loved you, ye lust and have not, your peace and love are present
John 15:12 & 17. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you… These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.
And like the weather forecasters got it right! This lazy-day Saturday has started out wet, windy and cloudy, let’s hope that it will improve as the day goes along. And even if it doesn’t, we still have Jesus! Glory be! We have Jesus to ease our problems, give us His peace and comfort us, guide us in the direction He desires us to go, and so many other wonderful things, that with Him, we want for NOTHING in this world! As Bruh Paul so confidently and truthfully writes; ‘We can do ALL things, through Christ who strengthens us.’ (Phil. 4:13) And just as importantly and truthfully: ‘My God will supply ALL your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And with those two foundation scriptures bubbling in our souls, let’s turn our eyes and hearts heavenward and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Wow! It never ceases to amaze me, how such a simple, heartfelt prayer can usher us into the presence of God, just have His amazing and calming presence engulfing us with His awesome LOVE and compassion! But that’s what prayer is all about my people; to bring us closer to God, and allow us to pour out our hearts to Him, and then listen for His answers to our concerns. Prayer is indeed the greatest privilege we have as believers, but so many of us refuse to believe in it and thus don’t use it, thinking it’s a complete waste of time. Some of us have indeed prayed but did not receive the answers we were looking for, and were thus soured on it.
But let’s remember that prayer is a convenience granted to us by Almighty God to help us do His Will, not to foster our own advantages. Thus, if you don’t pray in God’s Will, then obviously your prayer won’t be answered. For God is not a doting grandfather who just sits there waiting to do our every selfish and evil bidding. That’s why James admonishes us: ‘From whence come wars (conflicts) and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts (desires for pleasure) that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill (murder), and desire (covet) to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war (battle), yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not , because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures). Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself an) enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)?’ (James 4:1-5)
No, the scripture does not lie. That takes us back to the very beginning, where the word says: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’ (Gen. 6:5) That’s why the Lord chose to destroy the world in a flood. Oh friends, the same situation exists in our world today; evil thoughts and intents abound from North to South and East to West. There is such widespread strife, hatred and anger like we’ve never seen before.
And most of it stems from exactly what James writes about; our unsatisfied, selfish desires. As supposed believers, we ask the Lord for stuff to satisfy our lustful pleasures, instead of to do His holy will, and when we don’t get it, we end up striving and fighting with each other. And as the scholars explain: ‘As Israel was a spiritual adulteress, unfaithful to God, so the church is a spiritual adulteress when she is the unfaithful bride of Christ. (cf. Hos. 2:5, 19-20; Matt. 12:39). One cannot be both a LOVER of God and a LOVER of the world.’
And believe me, today’s church is certainly something else! The many unnecessary denominations, cliques, petty squabbles over doctrine and other even pettier stuff, plus the too many evils that go on in it, makes Christ church a laughing stock amongst the heathen, who gleefully apply the moniker ‘hypocrite’ to us all. And they’re not wrong nuh, for too many of us talk one talk, then walk an entirely different walk. And if a bunch of people who claim to believe in the same Leader, cannot get along, and show the Leader’s major attribute to each other, how can others be expected to believe in that Leader and His cause eh?
Ah mih people, Christianity will never conquer the world until Christians learn to live and work together and get rid of all the petty stuff that’s keeping them apart. So please, on this dreary-looking lazy-day Saturday, let’s spend some time pondering these ever so important words of Jesus re His followers. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you… These things I command you, that ye LOVE one another.’ (John 15:12, 17)
Yes my fellow saints, the most important thing that should be happening between us is the LOVE of Christ! But sadly, that’s exactly what’s not happening! No wonder the world is in such an evil and ungodly mess like way back before the Lord destroyed it. And yuh know what, this time the Lord won’t even have to destroy us, because if we continue along our current path, we will eventually destroy ourselves. Please ponder the foolishness and lack of wisdom in that nuh, when the Lord has given us such a glorious universe and earthly life to enjoy! Much LOVE!
…if Christians can’t show LOVE for each other…then how can we expect the heathens to show LOVE for us…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a form of godliness, a lack of total allegiance to God, a new flock of believers, backsliders, but denying the power thereof, come to the knowledge of the truth, error of their ways, faith, faithful believers, false teaachers, for thy good, Friday chant, has the Lord great delight in burnt offerings and scrifices, Jannes and Jambres, Jesus Christ, keep the commnamdnets of the Lord, LOVE, men of corrupt minds, mercy, omnipotent help, prey upon silly women, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality, simmering unrest, stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the weekend, to do justly and to love mercy, to fear the Lord thy God, to hearken than the fat of rams, to obey is better than sacrifice, to sacrifice un the Lord, to serve the Lord with all thy heart and soul, to walk humbly with thy God, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, what doth the Lord require of thee, wickedness flourished, wisdom
1 Samuel 22:b. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Now, this Friday March morning looks like another beautiful day in my area. And I’m sure when the folks cried out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ they were overjoyed at the prospect of a sunshiny day and weekend. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, for there’s been some warnings of bad weather for the next couple of days. But it‘s Friday, and nothing can spoil the weekend’s magnetic appeal! (smile)
And today we’re going to talk about a significant scripture from the prophet Micah, which has tremendous bearings on the kind of lives we live today, just like it had back in the days of old, when it was first spoken. When the children of Israel were involved in a controversy with God about sacrifices and no true heart spirit, Micah said unto them: ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE mercy (LOVING-kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God.’ (Mic. 6:8)
Israel was in a state of unjust dealings with both man and God, and wickedness flourished all over the land…just like it is today. And all Micah really did there was remind the Israelites of Moses’ words earlier on. ‘And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear (reverence) the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to LOVE him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good (benefit, welfare).’ (Deut. 10:12-13)
Oh my people, please pay particular attention to the last words of Moses; ‘for thy good.’ Yes, all the Lord tells us to do and expects of us is for our good, our benefit, not for His! He already owns and rules the world, He doesn’t need anything from us but our reverence and obedience. And we see this played out in God’s rejection of Saul from being king of Israel after he refused to obey God’s word to the letter. He had been instructed to totally destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, but he fell short of total obedience and saved Agag the king of the Amalekites, and also allowed the people to take of the spoil.
And when confronted by the prophet Samuel, he confidently declared (yes!!!): ‘Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil (plunder), sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed , to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.’ (1 Sam. 15:20-21) Oh friends, that is exactly how many of us feel today when we only do half of God’s bidding. God said to Saul destroy EVERYONE and EVERYTHING belonging to the Amalekites, but he saved their king and their animals, ostensibly to sacrifice to God later on.
But this led to Samuel’s famous chastisement. ‘And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (divination), and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.’ (1 Sam. 15:22-23) And though Saul repented and asked for forgiveness, the deed was done, and the Lord had already rejected him in favour of Bruh David.
Now, the scholars have an excellent explanation of those last two verses. ‘These verses reinforce the Old Testament viewpoint that religious ritual devoid of spiritual reality and of a life of total allegiance to a sovereign Lord is worthless. (cf. Ps. 40:6-8; Is. 1:10-20; Mic. 6:8).’ And sadly, that is exactly what many of us supposed believers are doing today. We’re full of plenty religious talk, but the walk, the true spiritual connection is lacking, and we only obey the parts of the Lord’s word that are convenient to us.
It also reminds us of Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy about the state of man in the last days. ‘Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate (disapproved) concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.’ (2 Tim. 3:5-9)
And the scholars explain thus: ‘A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from these false teachers who prey upon silly women laden with sins, who are especially susceptible to false teachers. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth condemns not intense study but some esoteric quest for truth apart from God’s Word.’ And that sort of quest is ever so popular today, with everybody searching for their own truth, as though there could ever be more than one truth! ‘Jannes and Jambres, according to Jewish tradition were the two magicians in Pharaoh’s court who attempted to duplicate Moses’ miracles. (cf. Ex. 7:11; 9:11)’
So friends, you see that life hasn’t changed all that much from olden times. We’re still short-changing the Lord and His Word; looking for any excuse to get out of doing His will. But please remember that partial obedience is still disobedience, and thus sin. And instead of taking His Word as perfect truth, we searching all over for what we consider to be truth. How foolish is that eh? No wonder our world is in such a chaotic state. But thankfully there’s a way to turn things around, that’s by going to the Lord in prayer and asking for divine help. So let’s do that right now, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Remember now friends, we have to set a truly good example if we expect to see any divine help. Much LOVE!
…to do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice)…is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice… (Prov. 21:3)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, accumulation of earthly wealth, Baby Boomers, become unfruitful, choke the word, curse, eternal life, every day I will bless thee, faith, fear, forgiveness, god, God's Unsearchable Greatness, grace, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he that heareth the word, he who hath ears to hear let him hear, I will bless thy name for ever and ever, I will extol thee my God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than yours, my ways are not your ways, negative word, no deep roots, no deepness of earth, one generation shall praise thy works to another, persecution, praise, promulgated by satan, psalms, receives it with joy, repentance, self-control, some seed fell on stony places, stumbles, success, sunshine, supernatural strength, the breath of life, the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the parable of the sower, Thursday Blessings, tribulation, wisdom, withered away
Psalm 145:1. I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
And it’s a beautiful Thursday morning in my neck of the woods; sunshine and fairly warm temperatures! What more can one ask eh? All praise to God who looks after His people with LOVING care! (smile) And for the first time this week I don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do out the street. Glory Be! So I can just take my lazy ole time and do whatever I want to do here at home. So what shall we talk about today eh? Hang on a sec, let’s see where the Good Library opens…
Voila! It opened unto the Book of Psalms! And we will look at Psalm 145, a Psalm of Praise by Bruh David, titled – God’s Unsearchable Greatness. And is He ever great, and His greatness not understandable or appreciated by the puny minds of His most important creation. But Bruh David had some inclination of the Lord’s greatness, that’s why he writes: ‘I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 145:1-2)
Yes mih people, that’s what we need to do each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great earth; praise Him, bless His holy name! And why is that you ask? Bruh David tells us as he continues: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable.’ (Ps. 145:3) And though we might not know exactly how great our God is, because of our finite minds, we ought to know that He’s much greater than us, because He made us, with His own hands, and breathe the breath of His life, His Spirit into our bodies, and still controls our every move down here on planet earth.
And if we cannot comprehend the Lord’s greatness on our own, then He’s told us about it in no uncertain terms through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Now that’s telling us! But some of us still foolishly refuse to believe Him and try to go our own way, but eventually fall so low that we can no longer help ourselves and have to turn to Him in frustration, fear and repentance and ask for His forgiveness, grace and mercy.
That’s why it’s so unwise to turn away from Almighty God, for when we’re flat on our faces, through disobedience and the tribulations of the world, He is the ONLY One, capable of, and ever-willing to lift us up from the mire and restore our fallen selves and broken dreams. That’s why Bruh David writes for our edification: ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare (steups!!!) thy mighty acts.’ (Ps. 145:4) Now that’s how the Lord’s greatness is supposed to be passed down from one generation to another, and has finally reached us.
Unfortunately though, our generation, Baby Boomers, or whatever we’re called, is certainly not doing a good enough job in passing it down to our children, the next generation, for too many of them have become ungodly. And why is that eh? Many of us parents have turned away from God, through the many foolish beliefs and ideas that are currently permeating our world, all promulgated by his satanic majesty, and even many of us who claim to believe, are too busy with the things of the world, accumulating earthly wealth and power and whatever, so that the truth of God and His word consequently falls by the wayside.
It’s like Jesus’ parable of the Sower, where ‘Some (of the seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith (immediately) they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth (no deep roots): And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had not root, they withered away. And some (of the seed) fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them. (Matt. 13:5-7)
Or as explained by Jesus: ‘But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (immediately) with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root himself, but dureth (only endures) for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended (he immediately stumbles). He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’ (Matt. 13:20-22)
Yes friends, unfortunately, those two kinds of believers form a large part of our Christian brotherhood today. While what we desperately need are many more where seed fell on good ground and brought forth fruit.’ (Matt. 13:8) Please pay attention though to how Jesus ends the parable, with the warning ‘He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:9) And per the seed that fell on good ground, Jesus explains: ‘But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth (produces), some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.’ (Matt. 13:23)
Oh my my, that is exactly what these turbulent and unconventional times call for; sincere believers who are helping others to come to Christ and thus be able to enjoy the abundant life that He sacrificed His sinless life for us to have here on earth, with the eventuality of eternal life with Him. And the first step in it all my fellow saints, is to praise God’s name, then live the life that will show the unbelievers that we’re serious and sincere, not the hypocrites that many of them so rightly takes us for. Now let’s go home declaring (yes!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so we can activate the generous blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now that we’ve activated those undeserved blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to benefit others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if you don’t know Him personally…it’s wise to praise who ever created this awesome universe and all therein…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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