05 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ably aided and abetted by the Holy Spirit, against them that do evil, attitude of fairness, behind the eight ball, do good, doing the right thing, eschew evil, even the church reflects unfairness, he that will love life and see good days, his ears are open unto their prayers, his lips speak no guile, if any man will come after me, increased number of divorces, integrity, integrity gives you real freedom, keepin a commitment, lack of integrity, let him deny himself, LOVE, man's determination, nothing to hide, our moral conscience, our testimony is all falsehood, refrain his tongue from evil, seek peace and ensue it, stormy winter, take up his cross daily and follow me, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, the face of the Lord, the Word of god, to be set free we need integrity, treat people with dignity, ungrateful sinners, when no one is watching, you have nothing to fear
Luke 9:23. If any man will come after (desires to follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Then it was Saturday…and some more cold temps, but no snow…no work…and plenty sunshine! Yeh friends, just a blast of a day in the northern climes! (smile) Unfortunately though, it seems that the U.S got hit with a bad snowstorm over the last couple days, even a tornado hit one of the mid-western states. Imagine that nuh; tornadoes in snowstorms. But I saw a picture of a house that the tornado passed through and it was just flattened right to the ground, nothing was left standing. There were also several bad accidents in several states, and thousands of people are still without power.
What a stormy winter it’s turning out to be, after all those other mild ones of the last few years. But what can one expect if you live in a wintry climate eh? However, with man’s determination and persistence, most ably aided and abetted by the Holy Spirit of Christ that dwells within us, we will come through it all victoriously. We must believe that, otherwise we are playing behind the eight ball from the very start. So, having confirmed our victory, let’s do what we usually do on Saturdays; check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And he seemed taken up with integrity this week, but we’ll deal first with the only quote that’s not about it. It says: ‘Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.’ Now, I guess that’s quite true, because out world in general is not a fair place, but in our current edition, brother, the word or attitude of fairness doesn’t seem to exist. Every aspect of our society, even the church, tends to reflect unfairness rather than fairness.
We’ve lost that thing called humanity, where we treat people with dignity and appreciation, in other words like we want to be treated. And sadly, we can no longer expect fair treatment from even those close to us. So we have to be ever so careful in all our doings with our fellow man. What a pity! But enough about unfairness, let’s turn to that thing called ‘integrity’ that Anselm was so taken up with this past week. And I guess the first question is what’s integrity? And he gives us a simple but profound definition in one of the quotes. ‘Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.’
Yes friends, that’s basic integrity; even when we are alone, we ought to do the right thing in every situation. Remember though, as believers, we are never alone, for God is always with us, and He sees all, and He is the righteous judge. So though no one else might know our lack of integrity, God knows it. It’s like Jesus says: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…’ And righteousness is basically doing what we know to be right. And between the Word of God, our own moral conscience and the leading of the Holy Spirit we should not have a hard time deciding what’s right from wrong.
Then there’s this quote that also defines integrity. ‘Integrity is keeping a commitment even after circumstances have changed.’ And by Jove, it does also mean that! Now that is something our world is certainly lacking; the keeping of commitments. We don’t even want to make them. Just look at all the young people who don’t want to get married, don’t want to get committed, but choose to live together with the mistaken idea that they can get out of that kind of relationship whenever they want to.
And even with the few who do get married, just look at the increased number of divorces that are happening daily, because they are not prepared, or committed to go through the difficult situations which arise in every marriage and every relationship. Ah mih people, integrity doesn’t mean always choosing the easy path, but rather toughing it out, even when it seems difficult and unfair. And that’s what Jesus desires of His followers: integrity! That’s what He had and showed to the nth degree.
Yuh think He wanted to leave the comfort of heaven and come to this sinful earth to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. Not on your life! But the Father asked Him to, and since He LOVED and revered the Father, and there seemed to be no other righteous or just way to save our sinful souls, He acquiesced to the Father’s desire.
Please note that last sentence carefully. Although the Father was all powerful, in His integrity, He still needed to show a penchant for rightness and justice. And since He had made the pronouncement that sin had to be paid for by death, to be seen as a just ruler and judge, He couldn’t simply wave His hand and eradicate our sins, someone or something sinless had to pay for them. And since Jesus was the ONLY sinless person beside the Father, the awful job of inhuman ‘sufferation’ fell to Him.
Now that’s true integrity; offering your only son as a sacrifice to show your justice and righteousness. And Jesus came to earth and showed that same integrity, that same sense of purpose, the stoic attitude in the face of all those who stood against Him. And that’s what He expects from those who believe in Him. Note what He said in terms of discipleship. ‘If any man will come after (desires to follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes my faithful brethren, every day we need to sacrifice our will to that of the Saviour, if we want to be true disciples. That means having integrity, oodles of it.
Now here’s something interesting that integrity confers on us. The quote says: ‘Integrity gives you real freedom because you have nothing to fear since you have nothing to hide.’ And that’s the gospel truth! When you know that you are behaving right, you feel free, because there are no skeletons in your closet to hide or worry about. No wonder so many of us are very afraid in these trying times and hold everything close to our chests. Our lack of integrity has caused us to do so much wrong stuff that we can’t relax for fear that others will find out and realize that our wonderful testimony is all falsehood. That’s why to be set free, we need integrity!
And the last quote says: ‘Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity.’ Words of enormous wisdom my fellow believers! And I believe these words from Peter’s first gospel do accurately reflect them. ‘For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit): Let them eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet. 3:10-12)
Yes friends, if we concentrate on doing those things, then we’ll be considered righteous, people of integrity, true disciples of Christ! Much LOVE!
…what we do in darkness…should be able to withstand the light…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: after ye have done the will of God, be joyful and peaceful, bring backsliders back to your fold, cast not away your confidence, caught up in Christ's amazing love, Christ has already conquered the world. ye have need of patience, confident trust in the Lord, courage fails, embrace your love and compassion, even in the tough times, faith is trust in action, faith makes the difference, faithful believers, fears become overwhelming, filled with Christ's goodness, Friday chant, God's promises do not disappear, great recompense of reward, it is well with my soul, it stands firm, LOVE, One Year Book of Bible promises, pandemic, patient endurance, regardless of negative circumstances, Ruth Harms Calkin, serious setbacks, spirits running high, the supreme love of Jesus, the throne of grace, unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, ye might receive the promise
Hebrews 10:35. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
Another snow packed day! Thankfully though, this second storm deposited its blessings in the evening hours and gave us a few hours between it and the first to do some cleaning up. It’s always easier to clean up a little twice than the total amount once, especially when you’re talking about snow. (smile) But it’s also Friday, the last day of the work week and consequently spirits are running high.
Hopefully, it’s not all because of that, but mainly because we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour to help us in ALL our doings, ALL our troubles, and ALL our good times. And as a result we can confidently say, ‘It is well with my soul!’ Oh how those few words lift our spirits and cause us to have blessed assurance, filled with Christ’s goodness, while lost in and inextricably caught up in His amazing LOVE! (smile)
Yeh friends, once you encounter the supreme LOVE of Jesus, it’s ever so hard, if not impossible to turn to anyone or anything else for help and comfort, because He has everything so under control! And He ought to, since He created the universe and all therein and still controls it with His mighty right hand.
Now this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin puts the whole thing in a proper perspective as regards the promises of God, especially in troubled times like we’re currently experiencing, and is aptly titled ‘God’s Promises.’
Please pray with me: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances. There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain through our deepest trial.
If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness. Oswald Chambers says. “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.” God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing of all.’
And isn’t that the indisputable, gospel and unshakeable truth my fellow saints in Christ? It certainly is! It’s easy to trust God in the light of the good times, but it’s only when we can do it in the darkness of the tough times that we can truly call ourselves faithful believers!
And that’s exactly what He is waiting for in these dark, troubled and calamitous times that we’re currently experiencing; our sincere faith and trust in His promise to never leave nor forsake us, to work everything out eventually for our good, that we are mighty conquerors with His Holy Spirit dwelling in us, that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us!
Yes my people, how many more promises do we need to actually put our trust in Christ Jesus when the dark times come eh? He never said that we won’t have trials and tribulation in this ungodly world, but that we should not be afraid, to be joyful and peaceful, even in the tough times, because He has already conquered the world. And the scriptures used to support today’s poem is very appropriate to our lack of trust in difficult circumstances.
The author of Hebrews tells us, in no uncertain terms, what we need to do when those doubting, distrustful moments surface in lives. He says: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb. 10:35-36)
And I’ll also share the version from the NLT (New Living Translation) which is used in the book, and which explains it in simpler language. It says: ‘Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.’
Now that’s what we ought to do in uncertain times, when our faith and courage is low, but we all know it’s not always easy. Although nobody said that life would be easy working and living for Jesus. (smile) But that’s where the big difference between believers and non-believers shows up or exists. We have the promises of Jesus to hold on to, while the unbeliever doesn’t!
And if we don’t make good use of those promises by holding on to them sincerely and tightly, remembering that He who promised is faithful, then our faith is useless. Remember, it’s faith that makes the difference between the believer and the heathen. One believes, and the other does not.
So, with problems and the darkness of evil raging all around us, let’s perk up our faith and do exactly what the author of Hebrews advises nuh; not casting away our confidence, but going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, so that we can receive help in these treacherous and turbulent times.
As one sincere voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set.
Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s go out and act like faithful believers nuh, if we expect to receive God’s blessings. Much LOVE!
…faith is much more than talk…it’s trust in action…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a time of storm, and said unto the sea, calm the storms of our lives, carest thou not that we perish, curse, even the wind and the sea obey him, faith, favour, good health, he arose and rebuked the wind, how is it that ye have no faith, in the name of Jesus, Jesus is our Guide and Comfort, LOVE, negative word, our less than sterling lives, peace be still, prosper, reverential awe, shivering of the timbers, spur people to deeper trust, succeed, the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm, the One and Only Living God, Thursday Blessings, what manner of man is this, why are ye so fearful
Mark 4:40. Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith?
Once more unto the snow dear friends, once more! Yes, another beautiful snowstorm has inundated us overnight! But thank God, it’s not as bad as the last one a couple weeks ago – at least not yet, because they are calling for 10-20 cm of the darling white stuff to fall between today and tomorrow. In some places there are still high snowbanks from the previous storm, so can you imagine the mess if this one deposits much more than we already have.
But as I keep saying, that’s why we have Jesus, our Guide and Comfort through the times of storm! Oh give Him some thanks and praise my believing brethren for His most honourable, diligent, compassionate and ever-faithful work in our less than sterling lives!
And I guess because we are in a time of storm, both literally and figuratively, we ought to talk about that occasion when Jesus showed exactly who and what He was during one particularly rough storm. All three gospels tell the story – Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25, but we’ll use Mark’s description for our purposes today.
Now, he describes it thus: ‘And the same day (after Jesus was finished teaching), when the even (evening) was come, he (Jesus) saith unto them, Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:35-41) Now that’s an easy question to answer my brethren: Jesus is the One who created the wind and the sea, therefore He is able to tell them to be peaceful and calm!
Now many of us will make light of the concerns of the disciples, because they had seen Jesus do several miracles, but I know from personal experience out on Lake Ontario, that when the winds and the waves buffet your small boat on a large expanse of water, it’s no fun.
Oh, on that memorable day, some years ago, I learned from first-hand experience what ‘the shivering of the timbers’ meant, having only read about it before, and at times did fear for my life, as well as the five, mostly inebriated others, who were on the boat with me. (smile) And I daresay that many of the disciples couldn’t even swim, so even though they had seen Jesus do miracles, that was a new situation for them.
But here are a couple of interesting notes from the scholars. Re 4:40, where Jesus comments on the faith of the disciples, they say that He constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. Then give examples in Mark 2:8, 19, 25, 26; 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ And if you look at those verses, you will indeed see Jesus posing questions that cause His listeners to think seriously about whatever He was saying.
And per 4:41, they claim: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ No doubt it was! But friends, that’s the kind of person; the immutable, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Being, the One and ONLY Living God, that we have as our Lord and Saviour! And right now, in these troubled and trying times of storm, He’s asking us the same questions: why is our faith so small, why are we so fearful, when we have the One who created the universe and all therein as our Guide and Protector?
Yes, we ought to be anxious when the storms hit us suddenly, but not afraid, because He’s not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, LOVE and a strong and disciplined mind! And an article on the biblestudytools.com website puts it this way. ‘The symbolism behind the story of Jesus calming the storm should bring great encouragement and hope for anyone facing a storm in life.. The apostles were shocked and still lacked faith that Jesus was the Son of God who “Even the winds and water obey.”
But since we know more about Jesus and His kingdom than the young disciples did, we ought not to be as afraid as we ofttimes are when the storms of life come upon us. Oh, we must be concerned and do whatever is in our power to calm them, but overall, we should know deep down that Jesus is with us, and that as He faithfully promised, will eventually work everything out for our good. What’s the purpose of having Him as Lord and Saviour if we don’t trust him to look after our welfare eh?
And furthermore, Jesus has been so wonderful to us that He’s even given us tools to handle the storms of life and to help advance His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh. Altogether 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 every day! Amen!’
Oh my people, when we are so abundantly blessed, how can we still live in fear eh? No way! Now let’s go about Christ’s business with diligence and excellence, and use those blessings to care for, comfort and bless others, just as generously as He’s done to us! Much LOVE!
…ONLY Christ…can calm the storms of our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breath of wind, a wicked spinner, blind like a bat, comfort you in sorrow, don't worry, endure to the end, enter the hallowed halls of heaven, from the storms of life, give you the abundant life, glory hallelujah, God shall wipe away all tears, hands fixed securely on the plough, hold your head and bawl, I am halfway home, I am here with you always, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, I am the way the truth and the life, it is the power of god unto salvation, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus' Second Coming, laugh with you in times of joy, lead you home safely, led like a lamb to the slaughter, life is like a vapour, LOVE, more than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my Holy Spirit, neither sorrow nor crying, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, no more death, not looking back, our eternal lives, personally testify, root for Christ, spend eternity with me, thanks God, that's life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the eternal home of the righteous, the former things are passed away, the grim reaper, the vicissitudes of life, throws you a curved ball, to a glorious future with Jesus, to every one that believeth, to love and protect you, to the mansions in the sky, today tomorrow and forever, trust in me, Wednesday Wail
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ah mih people, I believe we might have gone back to the damp, inclement, wet-snow, possibly rain weather yes. Chuh! It’s 3 degrees and cloudy and damp. And I was just getting accustomed to the bright sunshiny and cold days… But that’s life! It never likes you to be comfortable, and just when you are getting there, it throws you a curved ball, a wicked spinner, that causes you to hold your head and bawl. (smile)
However, that’s where our Lord and Saviour Jesus comes in, kisses our brow and says in a most compassionate and caring manner: “Don’t worry my child. I am here with you always to LOVE and protect you from the storms and vicissitudes of life. Just trust in me, and let me lead and guide you through my Holy Spirit that dwells within you.
I will comfort you in sorrow, and laugh with you in times of joy, and give you the abundant life that I died for you to have, and lead you home safely to the mansions in the sky that I have prepared for you, where you will spend eternity with me. When I shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Oh friends, what a marvellous promise, what a grand scheme to live our eternal lives under! No one else has ever promised anything better than that! Yes, life on earth might be rough, but this life is only a vapour, a short breath of air, while the promise of eternity is forever! What a reward for putting up with the troubles and tribulation of life! It could not get any better than that!
And that’s why it’s so important that we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, for it’s ONLY through Him that we can ever reap such a scintillating, life changing, everlasting reward. (smile) Remember what He said while here on earth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! We cannot enter the hallowed halls of heaven, where the Father resides, unless we are in covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son. The problem here though, is that we all want to go to heaven, but we don’t want to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. And if we don’t, then we’ll never lay eyes on that marvellous place called the eternal home of the righteous. Instead, we’ll most likely end up in the fiery dungeons of hell, where death and eternal damnation are the order of the day.
Now those are the only two choices available in this universe: heaven through Jesus, or hell through Satan. Which one will it be eh, my people? And one more thing…we have to choose our option right now, because if the Grim Reaper calls your number, or Jesus returns before you can cast your vote for Him, then you will automatically end up in hades, with the enemy. For there’s no choosing after death or Jesus’ Second coming. And since our life is like a vapour, a breath of wind, that’s here one moment, then gone the other, it’s of the utmost importance that we make the wise decision soon, preferably right now, that’s choosing to spend eternity with Jesus.
And if a dogmatic and well-educated Pharisee like Bruh Paul could turn his life around, from being a hater and destroyer of Christ’s church and His people, and become the hardest working apostle of all time, then that must say a lot for the promises of Jesus! And you can see the total change in his mindset by these bold and confident words he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Now, if a man who was previously rounding up Christians to be jailed, and encouraging others to kill them, can have such a change of heart, then Christ and His gospel must indeed be powerful and mighty! And we can see that through his conversion, where, on his way to Damascus to round up more believers for jail, Jesus knocked him off his mount through a blinding light, then basically told him, Saul, which was his name before conversion, why are you persecuting me eh? It’s time to stop, for you can’t win. Now get up and continue on to Damascus, where you’ll be told what to do. You have plenty work to do for me.’
And Bruh Paul blind like a bat, went meekly along, like a lamb to the slaughter, and eventually became the voice of Christ to the Gentiles. And if you don’t like my paraphrase, (smile) then you can read the entire story in Acts 9. But that’s what happens when Christ decides that He needs you to work for Him.
And I can testify to that, on a much smaller scale of course. I always wanted to write, but never had the inclination, knowledge, desire or anything to write about the Good Book. However, when the Lord approached me about it, I laughed and made my excuses. But He never took no for an answer, and kept bothering me until I reluctantly agreed. And it’s been fifteen years now that I’ve been writing the Bit, and the Lord’s been with me every bit of the way. That’s why I can testify to His faithfulness.
I knew nothing much when I began, and still don’t know a whole lot, but the Lord worked with me and encouraged me every step of the way. And that’s how He operates. He never gives you a task without giving you the wherewithal to do it, and is always right by your side offering His help as you do His will. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried out to Him for help in writing the Bit, and He’s always been there offering it, though not always right away.
So friends, like Bruh Paul, I don’t have much choice either but to root for Christ, to not be ashamed of His gospel. And I do hope many of you will eventually come to the same conclusion, that is, before it’s too late. Now, for those of us who have already voted for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident, but humble 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!’
And I just want to remind and encourage us to endure to the end, because if we do, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is ALL we ever need…today, tomorrow…and forever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blow our own horn, closer to spring, cnetral ingredients of spiritual life, come from different sources, covenant relationship, depressing times, end up in different places, everlasting covenant, exercise loving-kindness judgement and righteousness, God's ever-faithful help, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the Lord, I will bless the Lord at all times, In God we boast all day long, in god's eyes, in these things I delight, knowledge of God is man's glory, let him that glorieth glory in this, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let us exalt His name together, LOVE, loving kindness, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, o magnify the Lord with me, praise thy name for ever, resultant consequences, Selah, share His love with the world, that he understandeth and knoweth me, the goodness and love of God, the true source of wisdom - the Lord Himself, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Psalm 44:8. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
Can you believe it friends, we are already into the exciting month of February! And you ask what’s so exciting about February? Well, there’s Valentine’s Day in a couple of weeks, but it also means we are one month closer to spring and getting away from these cold winter temperatures and the depressing times that they can bring. We have enough other depressants; we don’t need winter too. (smile)
And yes, we know that we must go through winter to get to spring and summer, but some days it just gets to us more than others. And as you get older it becomes more difficult to navigate all the obstacles that winter throws up in our paths. But with God’s miraculous and ever-faithful help we can overcome most of them though. As the sons of Korah declare in Psalm 44: ‘In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.’ (Ps. 44:8)
Yes friends, in all our doings, the Lord’s name should be uppermost in our mouths. Bruh David said it so well in Psalm 34. ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’ (Ps. 34:1-3) And I can’t think of anything better for believers to do in these sad and perilous times than to praise and magnify our wonderful God, Jehovah! That’s because knowledge of God is man’s glory!
Listen to how the prophet Jeremiah put it long ago. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 9:23-24) Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve! And it’s not for us to blow our own horn in whatever area or field that we might be uplifted, because that very upliftment comes from God Himself.
But hear this explanation of those verses from the scholars. ‘9:23-24. Having lamented the folly of his faithless people, Jeremiah turns their attention to the true source of wisdom – the Lord Himself (9:23-10:25). True wisdom was to be found in the consistent following of the three central qualities of spiritual life. LOVING-kindness (the exercise of true covenant loyalty;)’ And here they refer to a note in 1 Sam. 20, where Jonathan and Bruh David made their sensational pact.
The note says: ‘Kindness and LOVE are essential ingredients in the covenant stipulations of the ancient Near East. They speak of a relationship whereby each party treats the other as a full family member with loyalty, dignity, and devotion. Jonathan continues with recognition of David’s divinely established pre-eminence. The everlasting covenant between Jonathan and David will be remembered by David when he becomes king (2 Sam. 9).’
Now that’s what true loyalty and covenant relationship means my brethren. Because Jonathan knew that Bruh David was divinely chosen to be Israel’s next king, instead of him, he did not get worried and annoyed over the divine slight. Instead, he did his best to keep Bruh David from the maniacal and murderous hands of his father king Saul. And later on when David became king, He kept that covenant by returning to Jonathan’s crippled son, Mephibosheth, all the lands and wealth of his father and grandfather, and had him continually eating at his table.
How often do we see that kind of covenant relationship lived out in these modern times eh? Not very often. And I’m chuckling here, because I’ve wondered away from the original explanation that I was writing about on verses 23-24. But it seemed important to describe the true workings of a covenant relationship, and please remember that’s what we have with Almighty God. But getting back to the explanation of the three central qualities of spiritual life. The first was LOVING-kindness, the second is ‘judgement (the consistent application of true justice for all), and righteousness (the maintenance of what was right in the sight of the Lord in all of life).’
Unfortunately though my people, none of those three central ingredients exist to any worthwhile degree in our current society, no wonder our troubled and disaster-prone state. We glory in our own doings instead of the Lord’s, corruption is rampant and justice seems non-existent, while righteousness, or simply doing right has been replaced by evildoing.
Yes my fellow saints, all the things of God have been replaced by the things of the evil enemy, and have become so firmly entrenched as ways of life in our current society, that the Lord no longer looks down on us with the favour He once did. He’s left us on our own, to do our own thing, like we so presumptuously desired, and thus to suffer the resultant consequences, like we’re now doing.
Oh friends, when are going to realize that the enemy doesn’t like kindness, compassion, goodness, and those godly things, but rather, prefers hate, evil, chaos and those ungodly attributes. And it’s obvious that if we follow him, those are the things we will get. The opposite is also true; if we follow the goodness and LOVE of God, then we will have that kind of society. But it all comes down to the choice or choices we make. And please remember that each choice has a resultant consequence, therefore wisdom dictates that we check the consequences first before making a choice.
And for those of us who have already checked the consequences and made the wise decision to follow Christ, let’s go home declaring (nooo!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and do just that; share 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!
…there can be no relationship between good and evil…because they come from different sources…and end up in different places…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
31 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all about self and selfishness, always abounding in the work of the Lord, be a cakewalk, be of good cheer, be ye steadfast unmovable, but of power love and a sound mind, Covid-19 restrictions, death is swallowed up in victory, ease the pain, empower your life, encourage your heart, endurance and perseverance, find victory in death, God always wins, God and His people are victorious, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, he will swallow up death in victory, heal our land, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, infect our souls and spirits, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise, led as sheep to the slaughter, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, o death where is thy sting, of power, overcome cahllenges, PaulEChapman.com, show this evil world, sincerely seek your face, suffering from negative situations, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the bad dragon day, the doorway to eternal bliss, the Lord hasn't given us a spirt of fear, the sting of death is sin, these things I have spoken unto you, through our Lord Jesus christ, triumph over the world, turn from our evil ways, We can do all things through Christ, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, wipe away tears from all eyes, wise guidance and direction, ye shall tribulation, your labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Awright friends, are we ready for Monday, the bad dragon day of the week? Of course we are! We fellowshipped with other believers yesterday and received renewed blessings from our great God, enabling us to go out today and fight His battles in this evil and ungodly world. And let’s remember that God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient to do whatever He desires us to do. He will NEVER give us less than we need. So please don’t allow any fear or dread to infect our souls and spirits as we head out to do God’s bidding today. For we know that He hasn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, LOVE and a sound or disciplined mine (2 Tim. 1:7).
And on top of that, Bruh Paul has also reinforced that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13) That means we have all the tools we need to face the enemy and his evil minions. That’s why this Monday morning should be a cakewalk for believers who set out to do battle in Jesus’ name. (smile) Oh, I know that it won’t be as simple and easy, but with our endurance and perseverance we will eventually win the day.
And here in our Province of Ontario, I believe that some of the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations will be toned down today. So that’s one less matter to be anxious about. Now we must still be careful and concerned about it, because it’s not going away anytime soon, but we will have a little more leeway to operate, a little more freedom to live, as the restrictions will not be as onerous as they were before.
That though can be a major problem, as freedom is not an easy thing for many of us to navigate, for freedom requires a sense of responsibility, a sense of thinking about and considering others, which is not a currently paramount attitude in our society. Right now, it’s all more about self and selfishness. But that’s a story for another day. (smile)
Let me apologize right here for the Bit being so late though. It seems like the last few Mondays have all been bad dragon days for me, stuff happening, either with the snow, car or household problems that have caused me to relegate the Bit to a much later hour than I desired. And today was no different. But I’ve finally put all that stuff behind me and can turn my full attention to the Bit. And as I said earlier on, dealing with Monday and its problems is not always easy, but God always gives us the wherewithal to overcome them. And I did have success in my undertakings, but it took a lot of that other commodity that we don’t have so much of, that’s time.
But then, when you’ve successfully completed those time sensitive tasks, you find yourself too tired, mentally, physically and emotionally to properly handle the other stuff that you had to postpone. And that’s what’s been happening to me. So today, I believe we should look at a few scripture verses that deal with victory in the Christian’s life.
And I like how this article on the subject on the website PaulEChapman.com begins. It says: ‘The Bible can encourage your heart and empower your life. What verses inspire you to overcome challenges and triumph over the world? …Our God is victorious. He ALWAYS WINS. He has never lost a battle. He has no equal to challenge His sovereignty. Although we know this truth by the fact of history and the choice of faith, our experience in this life can make it seem like we are losing at times.
Our limited perspective can create doubt and discouragement. Allow me to encourage you in the Lord. If you are born again, you are on the winning side! God has revealed the last chapter of history. There is no doubt of how the future will end. God and His people are victorious! Even when the people of the Lord are led as sheep to the slaughter, they find victory in death. God has transformed man’s greatest enemy into the doorway to eternal bliss. Marvel at the awesomeness of our God!’
Yes friends, that’s such a wonderful, encouraging and reassuring thing to do, because it builds up our faith in our heavenly Father and keeps us willing and able to do His earthly work even in the most difficult of times and circumstances. But enough talk, (smile) let’s check out those scriptures on success. And I believe these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth ought to be first.
‘So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58)
And that’s exactly how we’ve gained victory, through Christ Jesus, and how we keep it, by being steadfast and strong! Now listen to John from his first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
And the scholars explain: ‘5.5. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren, only when we are born again, trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, that we have access to the Father and all the victory that He radiates!
And there’s no better way to end these scriptures on victory than with these marvellous words, this eternal promise of Jesus, where He tells us, in no uncertain terms that victory is ours. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) What wonderful news my fellow saints. Please, let’s try and keep that first and foremost in our hearts souls and minds as we journey with God this day and every day nuh.
Now, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His omnipotent help in solving our many serious problems. As one, strong, sincere, confident, but humble voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now please remember that our answers all depend on our behaviour. Much LOVE!
…He will swallow up death forever in victory…the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces… (Is. 25:8a)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a traditional gospel song, calamitous times, come alongside Christ in total faith, come out victorious, common sense, completely surrender to Jesus' will, draw nigh to God, for we walk by faith not by sight, for when I am weak then I am strong, give thanks and praise, God is our only hope, guide me gently to thy kingdom shore, he will draw nigh to you, I am the Almighty God, I am weak but thou art strong, if I falter Lord who cares, if ye forsake him he will forsake you, Jesus keep me from all wrong, Jesus-the only positive option, just a closer walk with thee, let me walk close to thee, LOVE, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, none but thee dear Lord, our human inability to live righteously, receive rejuvenation and encouragement, righteous conquerors, spiritual strength, the father of our faith, the Lord is with you while ye be with Him, the Lord's Day, the prophet Azariah, this world of toil and snares, thrive in the midst of adversity, walk before me and be perfect, when my feeble life is over, who with me my burden shares
2 Corinthians 12:10b. …for when I am weak, then I am strong.
It’s the Lord’s Day friends – Sunday…with bright sunshine too! (smile) That means it’s time to gather for worship, to give thanks and praise and receive rejuvenation and encouragement for next week’s duties. And the days are not getting any easier, especially since we now have a new variant of the Omicron variant in the pandemic business. But, with God’s help and our wise and responsible behaviour, we will fight this virus right down to the end and come out victorious!
That’s our God’s promise, if we revere and stay close to Him. That’s why today’s song of praise is ever so important. You can tell that just from its title: ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee.’ Oh friends, in these dark and dangerous times it’s ever so necessary to get as close to God as possible, because it’s only through Him that we can ever hope to be righteous conquerors.
‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee’ is a traditional gospel song, that most likely dates from way back when the African Americans were suffering significant adversity in the Southern States of the U.S.A. It’s been performed and recorded by numerous artists, and the fact that it’s stood the test of time, and is still very appropriate in our current adversity, says a great deal about its spiritual strength and reassurance.
So let’s sing a rich, up-tempo gospel version, with plenty background vocals, clapping and riddim instruments, like they possibly did down in those Southern African American churches, when times were really rough, and Jesus was the ONLY positive option they had.
Therefore, with that same assurance, let’s raise our voices in sweet and sincere sacrificial praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.) Thro’ this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
[Refrain]When my feeble life is o’er, Time for me will be no more; Guide me gently, safely o’er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. (Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be…One more time my people… Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be…’
Now let’s hope that we were truly sincere in our praise, because, as I said earlier, we desperately need to walk with Jesus in these calamitous times, if we want to not only survive them, but even more importantly thrive in them. Yes, my brethren, Jesus can cause us to thrive even in the midst of serious adversity. But we have to come alongside Him in total faith and surrender ourselves completely to His will.
And on a point of interest, the website, Hymary.org informs us that, ‘In this song we acknowledge our human inability to live righteously, but we also express awareness of the grace and strength that God gives us in our daily walk. Even such an esteemed saint as the apostle Paul acknowledged his need for this grace:’
And when was that you ask? When he asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his side. ‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then I am strong.’ (2 Cor. 12:8-10)
Ah my fellow believers, the same thing applies to us; when we think we are weak, because we cannot do something in our own strength, that’s when we are really strong because the grace and power of God will step in in our weakness and anoint us to do His will. Glory be!
There’s also this most applicable verse: ‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless).’ (Gen. 17:1) So friends, if the father of our faith was required to walk with the Lord, it’s obvious that we are also required to do the same, and in all seriousness too.
Then we are told that the title and lyrics of today’s song, ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee,’ allude to the famous passage from 2 Corinthians 5:7, which reads: ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Christians walk by faith, by what they see and believe in their hearts, not what they see with their eyes.
And Bruh Paul specified this more clearly when he said 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? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait for it.’ (Rom. 8:24-25) More indisputable truth my fellow saints! And the title and lyrics of our song, also allude to this critical passage from James. ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you…’ (James 4:8a).
Now that was nothing new, for long before that, there was this warning from the prophet Azariah: ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him: and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr. 15:1-2)
Oh my people, that’s the same message that’s been sent to us today, loud and clear! If we seek God, we will find Him. But if we don’t, He won’t bother with us, either and allow us to go our own foolish way, like we’re currently doing. I don’t know what it will take for us to wake up and realize that He is our only hope. But I sincerely hope and pray, that for our sake, and that of our children…and their children, that we wake up soon and sincerely seek Him, before it all falls apart!
So please, let’s go to God nuh, as we’ve been so wisely advised, walk with Him and cling to Him as closely as possible, because in Him lies all of our hope for a better tomorrow, as well as today! Much LOVE!
…clinging to our Creator for dear life…doesn’t require much wisdom…just basic common sense…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a recompense be made thee, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, brings out the best in you, call the poor, do good to both the lovable and the unlovable, each step of faith, faith is gained by personal experience, he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, how he treats those who can do nothing for him, it takes time and effort to learn about Jesus, judge a man's character, never stop taking steps of faith in Christ, O ye of little faith, our friend Anselm, recompensed at the resurrection of the just, small fish in a big pond, take the first step in faith, that's how we grow in faith, the best of the best, the grim reaper, the lame, the maimed, thou shalt be blessed, thy faith hath made thee whole, we all have limits, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased
Luke 14:11. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Another bright, sunshiny and cold winter’s day – only about minus 20C. (smile) And with Jesus in our souls, spirits and bodies, we’re laughing all the way to heaven this Saturday morning my fellow believers! Yes, friends, there’s a certain something about being alive and having Jesus as Lord and Saviour that just brings out the best in you, have you shouting, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ and giving thanks to Almighty God for such a wondrous life! No, I’m not off my rocker, just excited about doing life with Jesus…and so should all supposed believers be excited about the amazing life possibilities that lie within Christ’s plans for us.
But it’s Saturday, that lazy day, so let’s turn to what we do on Saturdays, check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote’s a dilly. It says: ‘You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.’
And that has a lot of truth to it. You can often tell a lot about someone’s character by the way they treat someone who is supposedly lower down the social, economic or spiritual scale than them, people whom they feel can’t help them in achieving their life’s goals. A lot of us condescend to those whom we think are less than us in some way or other.
But that’s not Jesus’ way. His is the humble way, as He teaches in the gospel of Luke about where to sit and whom to invite to your feasts. Choose the lowest seat in the house, so that you can be honoured by the host when he calls you up to a higher table. ‘For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 14:8-11)
And furthermore, ‘When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again (invite you back), and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed (crippled), the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense (repay) thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.’ (Luke 14:12-14)
Oh my people, Jesus isn’t saying to refuse hospitality to our friends and families, but just reminding us that we should do good to both the LOVABLE and the UNLOVABLE! And we must maintain ties to the latter group if we want them to come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Remember one of the things the Pharisees held against Jesus was His associating with what they called sinners. But how can we reach them if we don’t associate in some form and fashion with them eh? The important thing is for us to change them, and not allow them to change us.
Now the next quote is exactly what Christianity is all about. ‘Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.’ That’s the gospel truth my brethren! We can only learn of, about and from Jesus by taking a positive step of faith, for He does not reveal everything to us all at once. And that’s how we grow, how we mature in our faith. For with each step of faith we take, and we see Jesus’ awesome response, then we are emboldened and reassured to take the next one.
No one is born with strong faith; strong faith is gained by personal living experience, one step at a time. And yes, sometimes we take a step and fail, or realize that we’ve made a mistake, but that’s never the answer or the end. We need to get back up and take another step, possibly in a different direction, just talk to Jesus about it. We learn through making mistakes, but the important thing is to NEVER stop taking steps of faith in Christ!
Remember one of Jesus famous admonishments was to query people’s faith, most of the time about how weak it was. As He said to the disciples in the midst of the storm. ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith.’ (Matt. 8:26) Meanwhile, to the woman with the issue of blood, who pushed her way through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment, believing, having faith that that simple action would heal her. Jesus said: ‘Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be made whole of thy plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:34) So, faith is basically a continuum, and with each step we take, we move along it a little at a time, and our faith grows the same way.
Now the next quote says: ‘ We all have limits. Almost no one reaches theirs. You definitely haven’t.’ That’s very true friends. We all have limits to what we can do or achieve, but very few of us, for one reason or another, ever reach that limit. Sometimes it’s because we don’t strive hard enough, or we strive through the enemy rather than through Christ Jesus, or we just don’t have enough time on this earth to reach it. But regardless of what tries to hold us back, we ought to be striving to reach those limits, because God put them in us so that we can work towards them for His glory.
And God’s limits are set high for His people because He desires them to be the best of the best! Remember what Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…’ (Matt. 16:33) That’s the ONLY way we can ever rise anywhere close to the limits God has set for us!
And this last quote is also an interesting one. I heard it many years ago, but never understood it until I took a moment to think it through. It says: ‘If you want to know how much you’ll be missed when you’re gone, put your finger in a bucket of water and then remove it. The hole that’s left will be how much you are missed.’ Yes, once you remove your hand, the hole will close right back up again. (smile)
Now that’s probably not quite true of your friends and family, but it’s oh so true in the big outlook on things. For most of us are considered small fish in a big pond, and when the Grim Reaper comes a-calling, very few but our closest associates even know that we’re no longer here. But that doesn’t matter so much, once Jesus knows who we are, and that we’ve gone to be with Him. And once that’s true, nothing else really matters!
So please, let’s concentrate on doing all we can to end up with Jesus nuh! Much LOVE!
…to truly learn about Jesus…takes time and effort…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guideline for our daily lives, a means of restoring faith in you, abstain from all appearance of evil, an attitude of prayer, anything praiseworthy, be not overcome of evil, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example, despise not prophesying, embrace your love and compassion, faithful is He that calls you, Friday chant, hold fast that which is good, in every thing give thanks, in the face of adversity, Jesus abounding in our souls, living for Christ, LOVE, maintain gratitude, of good report, omnipotent help, our sinful world, overcome evil with good, positive changes, pray without ceasing, provide things honest to all men, quench not the Spirit, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoice evermore, sanctify you wholly, show them the error of their ways, takes your breath away, the anxietym confusion, the God of peace, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, think on these things, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, we will rejoice and be glad in it, whatsoever things are true, winter wonderland, your faithful believers set
1 Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice evermore.
Ah my Scrip-Bit friends and family, this Friday morning has opened beautifully, like a true winter wonderland, with the sun shining so brightly that its reflection off the snow tends to blind you, if you look at it too closely! (smile) And the temperature is just right for such a day too, around minus 16 Celsius. No, I’m not crazy, a certain kind of day deserves a certain temperature. And then we have Jesus abounding in our souls, spirits and bodies, so what more can we ask eh? Nothing!
So let’s say it like we mean it nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Oh yes my people, every day is made for rejoicing, but some like this one, just takes your breath away, and you can’t do anything else but rejoice; rejoice and give thanks! And that just recalls these marvellous passages of scripture, featuring Bruh Paul’s immortal words to the Thessalonians, where he encourages them to:
‘ Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance (every form) of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-24)
Wow friends! That’s one of those bits of scripture, that sort of includes everything a believer needs to live a good Christian life! And the nice thing about it is that it’s simple and straightforward, as well as practical. So, I would suggest we use it as a guideline for our daily lives, where we rejoice that we are alive and have Jesus who reconciles us to God and offers us the most wonderful gift of salvation for simply believing in Him.
And to help us with all our daily problems we just keep talking to God about everything, not necessarily continuously or audibly, but having an attitude of prayer throughout our day. And for all of that my fellow saints, giving thanks to our wonderful God in any and everything is paramount, because that’s what He expects of us. As the scholars explain: ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
Ah friends, that’s like how we say one hand washes the other; prayer helps us to stay thankful regardless of our circumstances! Then we come to a big one: ‘Quench not the Spirit.’ Now that is possibly the most important aspect of Christian living, for the Holy Spirit of God has been placed within us to lead and guide us in a godly life on this ungodly earth. And when you ‘Quench it,’ that means, ‘stifle’ or ‘suppress it’ then it cannot do the job it was sent to do. As the scholars tell us, we are hindered in rejoicing, in prayer, in giving thanks during adversity, and despising prophetic utterances inspired by the Spirit.
It’s basically what Bruh Paul said to Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) And yuh know what friends, the more we suppress, stifle or repress the Holy Spirit of God in our lives, the less it is able to act on our behalf. It doesn’t sound as loud and clear as it once did, and we are basically left to paddle our own canoe, which certainly is not a wise action.
Then we come to the next practical aspect of Christian living as prescribed by Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ (vs. 21) That means be careful of what you believe, try and prove them before you believe them, and hang on to the good ones. It’s similar to what he said more explicitly to the Philippians. ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil. 4:8)
Yes, believers need to think or meditate on the right things, if we want to do the right things, which is ‘Abstain from all appearance of evil.’ (vs.22) And what does that mean? It’s like Bruh Paul explained in his message to the church at Rome. ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17, 21).
It couldn’t be any clearer than that my faithful brethren. And when we follow those basic rules, then our spirits, bodies and souls will be sanctified, set apart for our faithful God, and the surpassing peace He promised, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And the peace of God is the supreme blessing on this riotous, ungodly, deceitful, evil and unfaithful world. When you have that nothing bothers you, and you can go about Christ’s will with diligence and excellence.
But where I believe we’ve been most sadly lacking in our Christian journey is in the department of prayer. We haven’t been doing that prayer without ceasing thing. But it’s not too late to begin. So let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please let’s remember all the stuff we’ve talked about today, and do what it takes to be a true and faithful believer, if we want to see positive changes in our lives and in our world. Much LOVE!
…successfully living for Christ is not easy…but following the guidance of His Holy Spirit…enables us to live right…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to repentance, a cleansing of the heart, a compassionate heart, a mans' heart deviseth his way, admonishing words, as wool, bloodguiltiness before God, cease to do evil, come now and let us reason together, condemnation of sin, creativity, curse, devoured with the sword, dirty sa hell, divine protection, eat the good of the land, everlasting life, fruit of God's blessings, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, judge the fatherless, learn to do well, LOVE, major consequences, muddy our waters, negative word, plead for the widow, promotion, put away the evil of your doings, red like crimson, refuse and rebel, self-control, sin is no joke, sin looks good on the outside, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Holy Spirit, the Lord directeth his steps, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, the righteousness of God, though your sins be as scarlet, Thursday Blessings, to lead and guide us, tongue in cheek, wash you make you clean, white as snow
Isaiah 1:18a. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
Oh friends, I don’t have any tongue in cheek words to begin today’s Bit, another cold and mostly sunshiny Thursday. (smile) But I do have some wise and admonishing words from the Lord our God, spoken by the prophet Isaiah to his people Israel, a long time ago, that certainly seem very appropriate to our current situation. It’s a call to repentance. So, let’s read, listen, ponder and contemplate the wisdom of these age old, but ever new sentiments from our God, and then put them into practice.
Isaiah declares: ‘Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (reprove the oppressor), judge (defend, vindicate) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:16-17)
Yes my brethren, those are indeed wise and powerful words that we all ought to hearken to, because our world has been overtaken by the enemy with his evil doings, and for it to improve, we must turn to the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all therein, and cleanse ourselves of the enormous iniquity of which we are guilty.
Now, here are some interesting comments from the scholars on those verses. ‘1:16-17. Wash does not indicate that the sinner may cleanse himself. Nor does it refer to mere ritual washing. Rather, it indicates that the sinner must accept the cleansing offered by the Lord, a cleansing of the heart resulting in true repentance.’
Yuh see my people, we can muddy our waters, but we can’t make them clean again on our own. We have to accept God’s cleansing, which means a sincere turning away from sin, and only through Christ Jesus can we accomplish such a heroic and herculean task. Yes, sin is no joke, like so many of us today consider it.
Sin is serious business and it’s what’s driving our world right now, not the righteousness of God, as He desires. And with its many alluring enchantments and enhancements it’s not easy to turn away from sin. That’s why we need a power greater than the enemy to help us do it successfully.
Oh, the Lord knows we’ll always fall into occasional sin because of our natural sinful nature, but with His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, to lead and guide us, we have more than a fighting chance to keep sin to a minimum in our earthly lives. That brings us back to the rest of Isaiah’s declaration. (Wow! I spelled that right!)
He continues in a less accusatory and judgemental vein, but still not mincing his words. ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is. 1:18-20)
Oh friends, our God is willing to sit down and reason with us, if we are willing to admit our sin and change from our evil ways. But if we refuse to come together with Him, but rather to rebel and be disobedient, then we’ll suffer the just punishment for such behaviour.
And no one has to tell us that’s what’s happening to us right now! We have boldly rebelled against the dictates of the Lord and gone our own sinful way. Consequently, we’re being devoured, and not by the sword alone, through worldwide strife, but also through worldwide sickness, worldwide poverty and economic failure, with worldwide disasters, both natural and man-made, all occurring simultaneously!
And yet we refuse, stubbornly and adamantly refuse to turn back to God and seek His forgiveness so that we could once more eat of the good of our land. Hn! Foolish pride and unwise belief in one’s own power will lead us to our demise every time. How did Cousin Sol put it? ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes friends, ‘The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning,’ so we often scheme and plan in vain.
But enough of me, (smile) let’s listen to what the renowned scholars have to say on the matter. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God.
The term ‘crimson’ also means ‘worm,’ referring to the colourful red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus, the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’
Glory Hallelujah my people! What a great and remarkable God we serve! And though I’m no prophet, I believe it’s my bounden duty to again remind us of our Creator’s willingness to embrace all those who turn back to Him in sincere repentance. And His awesome Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, said it as plainly and clearly as He could. And we all know Him as a clear and straight-talking person.
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) And we all like to quote that scripture in reference to the goodness of God, but what we fail to realize is that all those who don’t belief in Christ Jesus will ‘perish.’ Yes, that’s what he said…and meant. So, it’s up to us choose whether we believe or not, but please remember there are major consequences attached to each decision. End of sermon! (smile)
But anyway, for those of us who choose to believe, the Lord has most graciously endowed us with blessings we don’t really deserve, but which help us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared, let’s declare them right now nuh, in loud, confident, though humble 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!’
Now let’s go out and share the fruit of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord’s shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…sin only looks good on the outside…but inside…it’s as dirty as hell…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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