18 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, brings solace in the face of death, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, Christ's Second Coming, comfort one another with these words, curse, divine protection, divine responsibility, eternal damnation, eternity with Jesus, from spiritual apathy, hopelessness of the heathen, I show you a mystery, in the twinkling of an eye, leave you behind, LOVE, negative word, prosper, sooner than we expect, spiritual laziness, succeed, that fateful day, the Christian's hope of resurrection, the dead in Christ shall rise, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, the fiery depths of hell, the majestic halls of heaven, the Son of man cometh, the time of the Rapture, the trump of God, the trumpet shall sound, this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality, Thursday Blessings, wake up my people, watch therefore, we shall all be changed, we shall not all sleep, would yo be ready
1 Thessalonians 4:18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Please wake up my people…and I’m not talking about from physical sleep, but from spiritual apathy, from spiritual laziness, for the day of Christ coming for His church is closer than we think, and every day it draws nearer still. So are you prepared? If the trump of God was to sound right now in the sky and Jesus were to appear in glory, would you be ready to go with Him, or would He be forced to leave you behind?
We all hope that the first situation will be the one, yet every day we keep putting off our preparedness, believing that we still have a lot of time. That’s a fallacy though friends, a betraying thought of Satan, for remember he wants us to go down into the fiery depths of hell with him and not to the majestic halls of heaven with Christ.
So today I’m warning us about the fact that on any day, and at any time, we could hear that trump blowing in the wind of high heaven and Christ appearing. Remember too, that even He didn’t know when that marvellous occasion would occur. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ (Matt. 24:36) And thus He warned: ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42, 44)
Oh friends, we’re sure that Jesus is coming back for us, we just don’t know when. However, it is imperative that we’re ready for whenever He comes, like the five wise virgins who took extra oil for their lamps were ready when the bridegroom eventually showed up. I don’t want us to be like the five foolish ones who didn’t take any extra oil and were shut out when he came. (Matt. 25:1-13) So please, let’s get serious and take this whole Rapture business to heart nuh!
Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Corinth: ‘Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (trumpet): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.’ (1 Cor, 15:51-53)
Yes my fellow saints, we must become immortal and incorruptible to enter the hallowed halls so heaven. But, unfortunately, that will not happen to everybody; just those who are prepared for that big day. Again, remember Jesus’ words on the subject: ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ (Matt. 24:40-41) And there will not be any more chances after that my brethren. That’s why it’s ever so important to get ready, RIGHT NOW!
But let’s go back to Bruh Paul’s words to the Corinthians, on which the scholars have an interesting explanation. ‘15:52. At the last trump: This is not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, but the last trumpet of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is so designated because it signals the end of the present age. Two groups are distinguished. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. The term dead refers to those who have died in Christ. The term we refers to those who are still living at the time of the Rapture.’
So you see friends, this is indeed serious business, and will determine where you spend eternity, which is a long, long time. Now, there are only two options, heaven with Jesus, or eternal damnation with Satan. It’s your choice. But I’m warning us that if Jesus comes back and you’re not ready, then the automatic choice will be eternal damnation. That’s all I’m saying.
So let’s turn now to Bruh Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, re the coming of the Lord. ‘But I would not have you be ignorant brethren (I have something to tell you), concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not (you will not continue to grieve), even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever (always) be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ (1 Thess. 4:13 -18) Oh my people, we surely can take comfort from those words, but we still must be ready for whenever that day comes, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Now let’s check out some scholarly explanations.‘4:13. That ye sorrow not is in the present tense: “So you will not continue to grieve.” Apparently these believers were concerned about their LOVED ones who had died in the Lord, especially in view of Christ’s promised second coming. (cf. vs. 14-15).Hope (Gr. elpis) means “certain expectation.” Glory be! That’s what we believers have…and lots of it!
‘4:14. Jesus died and rose again: The certainty of the believer’s hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:20-23). Bring: This supposes that those who sleep in Jesus are with Him, and when He comes they will come with him.’ 4:15. Prevent(Gr. phthano “precede”): The Greek emphasizes that the living will have no advantage over the dead when Christ returns.’
‘4:16-17.The order of events of Christ’s coming is clearly given: (1) The Lord will descend with a shout, accompanied by the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52); (2) the dead in Christ will be resurrected; and (3) then those remaining will be caught up with them in the clouds. Dead in Christ is a technical expression for believers of the church age. Caught up (Gr. harpazo, “to seize or snatch”): The Latin word for carry off is raptus. From which we get rapture. The doctrine of the Rapture of the church is given its clearest expression in this verse.’
‘4:18. Comfort :The Christian’s hope of the resurrection brings solace in the face of death – in contrast to the hopelessness of the heathen.’ And that’s exceedingly good news friends! Just imagine that because we believe in Christ we will live through eternity with Him, and furthermore be comforted by the fact that our LOVED ones will also be there with us! Wow! Nothing can be better than that! Both for this life and the one to come!
Now for those of us who are convinced of those immortal, immovable and unchangeable facts, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. 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!’
Now it’s our divine responsibility to go and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…please be prepared…for that fateful day…is coming sooner than we expect…
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11 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, above all we ask or think, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, according to the power that worketh in us, according to the will of God, always there to help and comfort, Christ came as a servant, curse, divinely enabled to live the Christian life, emotinal relief, filled with all the fullness of God, for this cause I bow my knees, gospel truth, He that searcheth the hearts, in the inner man, Jesus Christ, know the love of christ, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, make the decision to come to christ, maketh intercession for us with groanings, negative word, pandemic, problems become surmountable, prosper, racial unrest, Sacrifical Lamb, share our blessings generously, strengthened with might, succeed, supernatural wisdom, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, the whole family is named, through His Holy Spirit, Thursday Blessings, to do exceedingly abundantly, trust, unto him that is able, your life is in Almighty God's hands
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
And then, rather quickly, it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week, and our lives are still somewhat confused by the pandemic and racial unrest. However, despite how things may appear, regardless of all the worries and pain, if you believe that your life is in Almighty God’s hands, then those problems will become very surmountable! Yes friends, once you are in God’s hands, problems never seem as worrisome and problematic!
Oh, you will still have them, because that’s just a part of life on this planet, but once you’re walking with Him, once you are a follower of His wonderful Son, our Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ, He’s always there to help and comfort you through His Holy Spirit that indwells all His followers!
Wow! What awesome comfort and assurance! No other Deity can provide such emotional relief and trust, because no other Deity is alive and well and powerful like the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the important thing is that we have to embrace all the promises and benefits that the Lord has provided. They don’t come to us automatically. We have to make the decision to come to Christ and accept that He is Lord and Saviour.
And today, what we’re going to look at is the first act in that action. (smile) It’s called prayer, or talking to God in reverential awe; humbly, but with confidence, as Hebrews tells us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16)
Now, prayer is not only asking God for stuff we want, or think we need, it goes much deeper than that. It is in essence a communing of our spirit with that of the Father, who originally breathed His Spirit in us to give us life. And when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us to lead and guide us and to help us commune with the Almighty. Part of the Holy Spirit’s job is also to help us in prayer.
Bruh Paul puts it like this to the church at Rome. ‘Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts (God) knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’ (Rom. 8:26-27)
Yes precious people, the Holy Spirit interprets our innermost feelings that we cannot put into words and aligns them with God’s will. For remember, before the Lord grants our requests, He looks at the motives of our hearts, to see if they’re selfish, greedy and outside of His will.
But getting back to actual prayer. Let’s look at how Bruh Paul prayed for others. It’s strange, but he didn’t usually pray for people’s troubles to go away and that sort of thing, he mostly prayed that they would have inner growth, and thus be able to handle the problems from a point of greater maturity. Here’s how he prayed for the Ephesians, the church at Ephesus.
‘For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (derived). That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph. 3:14-19)
Oh, I know that it seems like a long and complicated prayer, but in essence it’s fairly simple. Here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘3:16-19. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his spirit (vs.16), that is, they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life. (2) That the readers be able to comprehend…the LOVE of Christ , that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Oh my people, doesn’t that sound like a complete prayer? It surely does! When we are strengthened by the Spirit, then we can understand Christ’s LOVE, then live the way He desires us to live, through strong and mature faith, ‘rooted and grounded in LOVE.’ And there’s no other way to live the Christian life my friends.
But Bruh Paul wasn’t done with his prayer. He continues: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21) And the scholars tell us: ‘3:20. In making the three above petitions (vs. 16-19) Paul has not asked for too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, that means He can do all things, knows all things and is everywhere at the same time! And that’s why He is GOD! So let’s try to adopt some of those prayer principles that Bruh Paul established nuh. Let’s not just pray for troubles to be over, or success to be gained, but for us to receive what we need to grow and mature in the faith, have our inner man strengthened. We will all end up better off and living a more complete Christian life.
And now, since it’s Thursday, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has magnanimously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. Altogether now, in 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!’
Oh friends, it’s time for us to now share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Christ came as a servant…and He expects the same of His followers…
04 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a discernerof the thoughts and intents of the heart, a great family, alive and kicking, all things were created by him and for him, Alleluia, and God said, before the day was I am he, blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, Christian pilgrims, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, easier for a camel, even there shall thy had lead me, God booted Satan out unceremoniously, help in times of trouble, I will work, if I take the wings of the morning, in the beginning, LOVE, magnificent blessings, mighty thunderings, negative word, no purpose of God can be thwarted by mortal man, not a word in my tongue, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, Satan, self-control, sharper than any twoedged sword, than for a rich man to enter heaven, the Lord created the heaven and earth, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the marriage supper of the lamb, the One and Only Living God, the voice of a great multitude, the voice of many waters, the Word of God is quick, there is none that deliver out of my hand, thou art acquainted with all my ways, thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, Thursday Blessings, thy right hand shall hold me, to go through the eye of a needle, whither shall I flee from thy presence, who shall reverse it, with God all things are possible
Isaiah 43:13. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?
Oh friends, we’re just strangers here, Christian pilgrims on our way home to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the high heavens! So please give thanks and praise for our blessedness, because not everybody is blessed like us! And all of God’s people shouted proudly and gratefully: ‘Blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, blessed be the name of God the Father, and blessed be the name of the Holy Spirit, our triumvirate God!’
Ah mih people, there’s no God like ours! In fact, our God is the ONE and ONLY true living Deity! None other exists. That’s just the simple fact. You can’t be a God unless you’re alive and kicking, else how would you do things for your people eh? Dead gods can’t do anything for anybody.
That’s why our triune God is so wonderful; they are indeed alive and kicking! Glory be mih bredrin! That’s why they can be our help in times of trouble and keep their awesome promises…because they are alive and omnipotent! And today we’re just going to look at a few Bible verses that verify the fact that our God is omnipotent and can do anything, whatever pleases Him.
And I believe the verse that says it all is the very first one in His Word. ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’ (Gen. 1:1) What can be more powerful than that eh friends?
Bruh Paul says it thus to the Colossians: ‘For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in (on) the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities (rulers), or powers (authorities): all things were created by him, and for him.’ (Col.1:16)
Yes friends, God, through Christ Jesus created everything by Himself, for Himself. So who the heck are we, a mere mortal creation to want to kick God out of His own universe eh? We’re boldfaced and stupid just like another creation, Lucifer, alias Satan, who wanted to overthrow Almighty God when he was a mere archangel, but God booted him out unceremoniously from heaven with all the other foolish angels who had joined with him to create the rebellion.
And the great thing about our magnificent God, is that He created it all through the spoken word, showing exactly how powerful His word is. The first chapter on creation is all about ‘And God said…’ and it happened instantaneously.
Hear how the Good Book describes the power of God’s word nuh: ‘For the word of God is quick (alive, living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12)
Yes people, God scrutinizes all our lives, that’s why we have to be careful how we live them. No wonder Bruh David could truly declare (yeah!) in Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God.
‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me, Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandeth my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (understandeth) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether….
Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:1-4, 7-10)
Yuh see friends, we can’t get away from God no matter how hard we try, for not only is He omnipotent -all powerful, but also omniscient – all knowing, and omnipresent – everywhere!
And the prophet Amos put it this way: ‘For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind (or the spirit), and declareth unto man what is his (God’s) thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.’ (Amos 4:13)
Yes my people, that’s an awesome fact. It’s the Lord our God who is the Creator and Controller of this great universe in which we dwell at His command and desire. We’re here to do His bidding, not the other way around, like so many of the foolish think.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah, in his prayer said it with surety and praise: ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee:’ (Jer. 32:17) And the last two verses of that chapter tell us: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ (Jer. 32:26-27)
Ah mih people, the Lord doesn’t like it when we doubt Him. And by the way, the answer to His question is a big and definite ‘NO!’ Jesus made that quite clear in His sojourn on earth. When talking about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven, He announced to His listeners: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God, ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
And why shouldn’t it be eh, if He is mighty and omnipotent? Job said it in his submission. ‘I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.’ (Job 42:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends! Our God can do any and everything, and no purpose of His can be thwarted by mortal man.
So I don’t see why we keep on trying to hide ourselves and things about us from Him. As He says through Isaiah. ‘Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?’ (Is. 43:13) And the obvious answer my brethren is ‘NOBODY!’
And this last scripture is oh so suitable to end with. Re the marriage supper of the Lamb, John the Revelator, says: ‘And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice (roar, sound) of many waters, and as the voice (roar, sound) of mighty thunderings, saying. Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ (Rev. 19:6) And He will reign for ever and ever my fellow saints in Christ. the marriage
So let’s go home now with all of that scripture securely embedded in our hearts and minds, and we declare (yesss!) our Thursday Blessings that the Lord God Almighty has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now it’s time to share those magnificent blessings just as generously with those around us. Much LOVE!
…if you don’t believe that the Lord is…omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present…then what do you believe eh…
P.S. It only seems long…but it’s not really. (smile) Much LOVE!
17 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a word to the wise, all these things will be added unto you, calamity and darkness, curse, encampeth round about them that fear him, fade away quietly into the sunset, faithfulness, forgive us and heal our land, forgiveness, give much thanks and praise, Goliath's sword, good friends, great family, his soul which is lifted up, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, I will bless the Lord at all times, is not upright in him, let us exalt His name together, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, negative word, new mercies and compassions, no time nor space for God, not of evil, opportunities to fullfill God's paln for our lives, rejoice and be glad in it, righteousness., seek ye first the kingdom of God, self-control, self-discipline, shewbread, some semblance of sanity, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the angel of the Lord, the humble shall hear, the just shall live by faith, the prince of darkness, thoughts of peace, Thursday's Blessings, to give you an expected end, turned away from God, unlimited possibilities
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith.
So what we going to do with this new day called Thursday eh? What we going to do with this snowy morn of Thursday eh my people? Nothing different than what we do with each and every other day. We going to LOVE it, rejoice and be glad in it, give much thanks and praise for it, because it’s a brand new day granted us by our wonderful heavenly Father, a day filled with His wonderful new mercies, compassions, faithfulness and forgiveness! Glory to God my fellow saints in Christ! It’s a brand new day with unlimited possibilities, oodles of opportunities for us to fulfill God’s great plan and purpose for our lives.
Yes, let’s never forget that the Lord has a plan and purpose for every one of our lives and that’s why we’ve been so greatly gifted with the opportunity to see another day. In the immortal words of the prophet Jeremiah, on the Lord’s behalf: ‘I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) So let’s keep that uppermost in our minds today as seek to do God’s work, to continue building our earthly lives on the good purpose that He’s placed in our hearts.
And thus we can confidently say: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today! Oh yeah! And something good is also going to happen through me today! Bless the Lord’s holy name my brethren, for He is indeed a good God, full of mercy and compassion, with only the best thoughts toward us, but we spoil it by shrinking and shirking away from Him, because we seem to prefer the lustful and evil pleasures of this evil world above the heavenly treasures He has to offer. So what else can we expect when we neglect to follow His path eh? Nothing but calamity and darkness! Which is exactly what we’re suffering now, simply because we’ve turned away from God and has allowed the prince of darkness to control our lives.
But friends, if there’s one thing about our great God is that He’s full of forgiveness and mercy, and we need only to repent, sincerely now, and come back into His fold and He will forgive us and heal our land. That’s His awesome promise! And yes, we do need a worldwide Revival; a worldwide LOVE Revolution, if our world is to return to some semblance of sanity. It’s written bold and clear like the tables, the tablets on which God told the prophet Habakkuk to write His vision so that even those running will see it. (Hab.2:2)
But yuh know what friends, we’re so immersed in our own li’l selfish and greedy, earthly oriented world that we run by the tablets and don’t even see them, much less read the vision. Remember though these words of the Lord to Habakkuk: ‘Behold his soul which is lifted up (proud) is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith.’ (Hab. 2:4) And truer words were never spoken concerning this generation, our souls are so full of pride and selfishness that we have no time nor space for God! And that can only lead to calamity like so many other ages and societies have discovered.
And as I always say, the fledgling nation of Israel might have been foolish to turn away from the God of their forefathers, but whenever they did and then experienced calamity for their disobedience, they were wise enough to turn back to Him and receive His forgiveness and mercy. But we, in this supposed modern, enlightened and knowledgeable age, don’t seem to be wise enough to know on which side our bread is buttered.
That brings us to Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous – written by Bruh David when he was running from Saul, hungry and unarmed and he went into the temple and ate the shewbread that was meant for priests, then took Goliath’s sword, the one he used to cut off the giant’s head some years before and fled to the land of the Philistines. (1 Sam. 21)
And I like the superscription at the head of the psalm. ‘A psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech (the priest in the temple), who drove him away, and he departed.’ The psalm says it all friends. When one has narrowly escaped death and is on the run from serious enemies, changes will be forced into your life, either for good or bad. Thankfully in Bruh David’s life they were for good.
Hear these memorable words he writes nuh. ‘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. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps. 34:1-9)
O yes, we supposed saints of Christ, if we sincerely trust in the Lord our God, reverence and worship Him sincerely we’ll lack nothing. Remember Jesus’ words: ‘But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And it is certainly because Bruh David had a heart for God, that he was able to escape Saul’s wrath. And does our world currently have a heart for God?
Hn! Absolutely not! We don’t even acknowledge His existence, much less consider Him of any importance! We’re more concerned with kicking Him out of our society than reverencing or magnifying or exalting Him! That just shows how foolish we are to think that the Almighty and Everlasting God, who created the universe and all therein, will just fade away quietly into the sunset because a bunch of evil ingrates He created desires it? Not on your life!
Oh friends, let’s wake up and see reality nuh. Remember the last time we got so evil the Lord destroyed the world by water. So it means that He won’t allow us to continue our evil doings for ever. At some stage He will get fed up with our evil shenanigans and will intervene and bring us to heel in a very turbulent manner. Who knows if this is the time eh? But whether this is the time or not, it’s high time that we turn our lives and our world around and run back to the protective and comforting arms of Almighty God! Wisdom dictates it.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do His will in this evil and calamitous world, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh) our Thursday Blessings that He’s so magnanimously granted us to do His earthly work. As one strong voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion, and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And having said all of that, let’s get to sharing those blessings just as generously and magnanimously with others nuh. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise…should be sufficient…
05 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bubbling cauldron of hate, a compassionate heart, according to the dictates of man, age old tool, agree on a path of life, all Christians profess to believe in, anger, are true and righteous altogether, badly divided, blessed with success, bully boy style, by them is thy servant warned, curse, dictator-like behaviour, divide and conquer, divine duty, divine protection, for where envying and strife is, good leadership, happy are those who keep God's law, he'a all around, if love ruled the world, ignore a lot of it, in keeping of them is great reward, lack of class, legal suits, LOVE, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, negative actions of an evil heart, negative word, not to selfishly hoard, obnoxious behaviour, prophetic vision, prosper, rejoicing the heart, resnetment, Revelation, share generously, strife, strife-filled, succeed, sweeter also than honey, the BIBLE, the book, the commandment of the Lord is pure, the enemy is intrusive, the judgements of the Lord, the people perish, the people shall be scattered abroad, the statutes of the Lord are right, there is confusion and every evil work, Thursday Blessings, to resist the onslaught of the enemy, trying to create havoc, walk as men, what a wonderful world, when prophecy shall fail, where self-seeking exists, where there is no visioin, ye are yet carnal
James 3:16. For where envying and strife is (where self-seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.
Well the craziness down south is still going on; no official winner just yet, but a whole lot of claims and counterclaims and legal suits. Only in the U.S. of A, you say. That’s for sure! And what’s totally mind boggling is that despite the incumbent President’s rather poor showing over the last four years, his obnoxious behaviour, his lack of class, his bully boy style and having done nothing for the poor of his country, but plenty for the rich, half of the country, many of them the poor ones he cast aside, still apparently voted for him. How unbelievable!
One would never have thought that he had a real chance after all his callow, unpresidential and dictator-like behaviour. But that just goes to show the mentality and sad state of the nation and how badly divided and strife-filled it is. That reminds us of this ever-true statement from James: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self-seeking exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) And that’s no lie my brethren! We all know it, for we have seen it in our friendships, our families and it has recently taken over the whole globe, just more in some countries than others.
Yes friends, the whole world is now a boiling, bubbling cauldron of hate, resentment, envy, strife, anger and all the negative actions of an evil heart and nature. Our world is certainly not a very godly place in these disturbing and rather frustrating times. As Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians in his first missive when he heard that they were feuding amongst themselves. ‘For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to the dictates of man.)’ (1 Cor. 3:3)
Oh my people, there’s no doubt that right now we are surely and rather sadly walking after the dictates of mankind more than of God, and that’s a very unfortunate and disastrous thing for any family, society or nation. As Cousin Sol so clearly points out in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18)
Now the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘29:18. Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet. Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.’ And over the years people have used this verse conveniently to mean all sorts of things, but basically what it’s saying is that without good leadership and a godly, fairly unified purpose in a nation, that society will eventually crumble and fall. Everyone won’t always agree on a path of life, but most of them have to, if the society is to grow and prosper.
And just for our enlightenment, here are a few of the interesting translations from the 29 different translations of the Bible, I recently came across. Never knew there were so many translations of the Good Book. (smile) But here’s an interesting aside, why someone could so rightly answer a question on church building this way: ‘The answer to your question is simple. And it involves a look at the BIBLE. You know, that book that all Christians profess to believe in, yet seemingly ignore a lot of what is in it.’
I just could not help including that quote friends, because it’s oh so true. (smile) Too many of us, supposed believers talk about the Good Book, but hardly ever open it. In too many homes it sits gathering dust in a prominent position, where all can see it. But the truth is, we ignore it to our own detriment, not the Lord’s, because He knows what’s in there, since He caused it to be written. (smile)
Anyhow here are those translations. ‘Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.’ ‘When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.’ ‘Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.’ ‘A nation without God’s guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God’s law!’
‘In the multitude of the evil ones a people is breached and he that keeps the law is blessed.’ ‘There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is blessed.’ ‘Without a Vision is a people made naked, And whoso is keeping the law, O his happiness!’ ‘When prophecy shall fail, the people shall be scattered abroad: but he that keepeth the law is blessed.’
Ah mih people, the enemy is using that age old, but rather powerful and successful tool called ‘divide and conquer.’ And it’s certainly working in these perilous and uncertain times. We though, the saints of Christ, have the divine duty to resist the onslaught of the enemy, and where possible recapture the unity and godliness of our church and society. It’s up to us friends, the bride of Christ, the church, to start making amends to the ungodly and strife-filled behaviour that’s currently paralyzing our society. If we don’t do it, who’s going to do it eh? Certainly not the enemy and his evil demons who benefit greatly from it!
That’s why these words of Bruh David from Psalm 18 – The creation and covenants of God – are so true and mightily important even to this day. ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear (reverence) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippage of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
That says it all my people. Without the law of God as our guide and stronghold, we will eventually perish. So now, for those who have accepted our role as godly uniters and not evil disrupters, let’s go home proclaiming (Hn, hn! Couldn’t spell that right either) our Thursday Blessings. As one strong voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And the natural consequence of all those blessings is not to selfishly hoard them, but for us to share them with others as generously as the Lord has shared them with us.Much LOVE!
…if LOVE…instead of hate…ruled the world…what a wonderful world it would be…
P.S. And the enemy is so intrusive, he just made me lose twenty minutes trying to find out why my computer stopped writing. It was all in the batteries of the keyboard. Steups! So be careful, he’s all around, trying to create havoc in our lives, anyway possible. Much LOVE!
10 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a strong will, adversities, after the Spirit, assurance, blessed hope, calamities, clear direction for my life, curse, fears, fulfill the lust of the flesh, glorified together, good family, heirs of God, I can do all things through Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, inner assurance of God's truth, intimacy with god, joint heirs with Christ, led by the Spirit, Most High God Jehovah, moving forward with Christ, negative word, not worthy to be compared with, on the things of the Spirit, prosper, self-control, self-discipline, set their minds on the flesh, sons of God, spiritual insight, succeed, suffer with him, the glory which shall be revealed, the Spirit of adoption, the sufferings of this present time, they that are after the flesh, Thursday Blessings, trials, walk in the Spirit, witness of the Spirit
Romans 8:18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Well Thursday has opened wet and gloomy… Let’s hope it doesn’t stay that way. But the caffeine is excellent – strong and sweet. (smile) And though life might be filled with trials and adversities, anxieties and fears, we believers are able to keep on moving forward successfully because the most powerful person in the universe, Jesus Christ, dwells within us, and we are also in Him! Wow! What a wonderful situation to be in my brethren! That’s why we say with such positivity and assurance: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13)
That’s basic logic. If you are indwelt by the ONE to whom nothing is impossible, then you must also be a champion in life like Him! Glory be! So today, please let us not fall prey to the wiles and deceits and outright lies of the enemy as he tries to encumber our lives with more confusion than we already have. Let’s remember who we are; children of the Most High God Jehovah, believers in Christ Jesus, who ought to be living a Spirit filled life. As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:1)
Yes friends, as believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Christ, we ought to listen to Him and follow His direction, because He is our guide, comforter and general advisor. And Bruh Paul continues: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:5) And it’s been clearly stated that believers in Christ need to live by the Spirit of Christ else they don’t belong to Him.
Hear How Bruh Paul puts it. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom. 8:14-15) Oh my people, what beautiful, faith filled scriptures! We have not received Christ and his Spirit only to be filled with fear again, but have been made fearless children of God, through adoption.
Listen to the scholars. ‘8:15. The Spirit of adoption: The Holy Spirit places the believer as a son in God’s family. Abba (Aram for “father”): This is the intimate name used only by members of the family. It’s use here denotes the intimacy of the believer’s relation to God.’ Now isn’t that a most magnificent and desirous position to be in? Certainly! How can one not desire to be in an intimate relationship with Almighty God – Creator and sustainer of ALL – and be able to go to Him with father-like intimacy, just like we can go to our earthly fathers? That’s definitely not wisdom!
So Bruh Paul relates: ‘The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.’ (Rom. 8:16-18)
Mama Mia! Yuh hear that mih people? If we suffer for and with Christ, we’ll also be glorified with him! And what we suffering down here on earth today can’t be compared with the glory of life with Christ when His kingdom rules! Glory be! So instead of pouting and complaining about the sufferings down here, we should be concentrating on the joys and pleasures that we will receive later on when we’re glorified with Christ!
But let’s hear what the scholars have to say: ‘8:16. The witness of the Spirit is the inner assurance of God’s truth. One of the conditions of this inner conviction concerning the things of God is obedience to His known will (John 7:17). God uses this ministry of the Holy Spirit to convince us of truth that cannot be understood other than through divine help (Matt. 16:17).
Illustration: This witness was obvious in Peter’s confession of Christ (Matt. 16:16-17) Even though others had observed Christ and drawn certain erroneous conclusions, Peter received spiritual insight from God as to who Jesus really was (Matt. 16:17). This enlightenment did not mean he had nothing more to learn, because perhaps within minutes of his confession, he was being rebuked by Jesus for his lack of spiritual insight – (Get thee behind me Satan) (Matt. 16:23)
Application: Christians should be careful always to obey the clearly revealed will of God, so as not to hinder this ministry in their lives. (first ref. Matt. 16:17; Primary Ref. Rom. 8:16, cf. Heb. 6:1-2).’
‘8:17. Joint-heirs with Christ: All believers share all of the inheritance together. They also have the promise of glorification if their lives are lived devotedly and sacrificially unto the Lord.’ Yeh friends, just like the inheritance business works down here on earth, so it going to work in Christ’s kingdom…if we live obedient to God. ‘8:18. The sufferings of this present time: See 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. The glory which shall be revealed: The blessed hope of the Christian looks ahead with anticipation to this great moment. See also 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; Titus 2:13.’
It’s all about anticipation precious people, about belief, about faith! And I wanted to share some of those scriptures, but we just don’t have the time or space…maybe tomorrow, if the Lord wills. But if you can, please peruse some of them, they are all very relevant to our Christian life. Now let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been magnanimously bestowed on us to help us in our earthly ministry.
All together now, in strong, 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 everyday! Amen!’
And having confessed all those wonderful blessings, let’s get to sharing them just as magnanimously nuh! Much LOVE!
…walk in the Spirit…so we don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh…
03 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, age of no work, catapulting by, curse, experiencing His power, experiencing the resurrected life, for the prize, forgetting those things behind, get going, I press toward the mark, in christ Jesus, joyful personal satisfaction, lazy river days, leisurely time, let your requests be made known, meander slowly, negative word, no need to worry, prosper, reaching forth, rest on past laurels, shall keep your hearts and minds, share those blessings, spiritually close at hand, stops in mid air, succeed, the goal of knowing Christ, the high calling of God, the more apprehensive you become, the older you get, the peace of God, this one thing I do, thou good and faithful servant, through Christ, waning days on earth, well done, with no warning, with thanksgiving
Philippians 3:14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Welcome to Thursday friends! But can somebody please tell me, where have Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday already gone eh? It was just Monday…now it’s already Thursday. Chuh! These days flying by too quickly for me yes! What happen to the times when the days would take their own sweet, leisurely time and just meander slowly on their way eh, giving you enough time to enjoy them, instead of catapulting by, like they seem to do now? I think I much prefer those lazy river days to these hurtling down like mad ones oui! (smile)
I don’t know if that’s because the older you get, the more apprehensive you become; meaning your waning days on earth begin staring you more fully in the face, and you don’t want them to go by as fast as they seem to be going. Oh, some of us are bored because we don’t have much to do in this age of no work – when you retire and it looks like your once busy world just stops in mid-air with absolutely no warning. Meanwhile, others of us have so much still left to do, that we get anxious about the fast vanishing years, wondering if we will have time to do all that we desire.
But friends, there’s really no need to worry nuh, because our wonderful God will not take us home if there were things He still wanted us to accomplish here on earth. He’s not foolish or crazy. Why spoil His own well-laid plans eh? No reason whatsoever! So my brethren, let’s stop worrying nuh, let’s stop being anxious. For as Bruh Paul warned the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
Now there couldn’t be a more appropriate scripture for us believers in these troubled and uncertain times! As the scholars so interestingly explain: ‘4:6. Be careful for nothing means “don’t worry about anything.” The Lord’s nearness –His Second Coming and His being spiritually close at hand – (vs.5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’
‘4:7. The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and his ability to cope with and solve it. Shall keep means “shall guard.” This is a military term for a sentinel standing guard duty. As Philippi was guarded by a Roman garrison, and its citizens were accustomed to seeing soldiers protecting the city, this word would be especially appreciated by the readers.’
So we’ve concluded that there’s no reason for us to worry or be anxious. But what should we do then? Bruh Paul said it the same Philippians earlier on. ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14) Yes my people, that’s what we ought to be doing; forgetting what has gone before and pressing forward with what the Lord expects of us.
The scholars explain it more fully. ‘3:13. Those things which are behind refers both to his religious credentials (vs. 5-6), now counted as “loss” (vs.7), and to his past Christian achievements and successes. In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs.10), he refuses to let past guilt pull him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster. Those things which are before refers to his goal of knowing Christ, with all that implies: experiencing His power and participating in His suffering, becoming more like Him in death (vs.10), and experiencing the resurrected life (vs.11).’
‘3:14. The mark is the objective of verses 10 and 11 (i.e. knowing Christ). The prize is the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’ Oh mih people, we’ve all been called to some high calling of God, and we need to work diligently towards that divine commendation and reward waiting for us in heaven! Please remember the wonderful words of greeting awaiting us at our entrance to the pearly gates: ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant:’ (Matt. 25:21a)
So what are we waiting for eh? Let’s respond to the call of God in our lives, whatever area that might be! And He’s so wonderful that He’s bestowed abundant blessings on us to enable us to do His earthly work. Wow! We term them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (awright!) them right now nuh, so that they can lift up, enthuse our spirits.
All together now, in strong and sincere voices. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And the usual corollary to that is ‘Get Going!’ Get out there, or stay at home (smile) but share those blessings as generously as the Lord has shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…oh the joy in heaven…for doing Jesus’ earthly work…
13 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a battlefield, a compassionate heart, all things are possible with Jesus, behind the eight ball, but the flesh is weak, change your attitude, Christian, clear direction, comparing ourselves to others, curse, divine protection, down to brass tacks, evil desires, faith, favour, fleshly, good health, I am carnal, lest ye enter into temptation, LOVE, magnanimous god, mea culpa, negative attitudes, negative word, over who we become, P.S. I Love You, promotion, prosper, sin, sin that dwells in me, sinful pursuits, succeed, the battle with sin, the battlefield of life, the chicken or the egg story, the evil I don't want to do, the flesh thwarts the Spirit, the good I want to do, the law is spiritual, the spirit frustrates the flesh, the spirit truly is ready, the struggle of two natures, Thursday Blessings, to change everything, total control, ungodly society, unhappiness, watch ye and pray, wisdom
Mark 14:38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
And then it was Thursday… a beautiful Thursday by the way! And we way way behind the eight ball because of my late bedding down and thus late rising, but also due to a couple of chores I had to do before getting down to brass tacks. And that’s my mea-culpa. (smile)
Today I have a couple of gems for us from our ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. Long time I haven’t shared anything from that. Some of you might not even know about. It’s just a cardboard poster with that title my young daughter gave me some years ago with some useful life quotes on it. And the first gem says: ‘Almost all of our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves to others.’ Quite true that! And the second tells us: ‘We can’t do much about our appearance, but we have total control over the kind of person we become.’
In these modern times of advanced medicine and technology, the first part is not so true anymore, because through those avenues we can now change our appearance a whole lot, but the second half is still and will always be true! Changing our appearance doesn’t mean a blooming thing if the kind of person we are doesn’t improve with it. In the long run, who we are, not what we look like, will always be the deciding factor in the outcome of our lives. And since I’m so sweet and generous, here’s a langniappe, a brawtha, something extra thrown in for good measure. (smile)
‘To change everything, simply change your attitude.’ Wow! What wisdom and truth my bredrin! And do a whole lot of us ever need to change our surly, stupid, selfish, greedy, angry, resentful, hateful, gossipy, unforgiving, jealous, envious, ungodly, unkind, UNLOVING attitudes! Yes friends, all those negative attitudes are taking a severe toll on our individual lives and consequently are then flowing into our society, making it the negative, ungodly society it’s become.
Some of you might choose to argue that the society itself first had the negative attitudes and we as individuals then adopted them. But that’s like the chicken and the egg story, about which came first. It doesn’t matter who or what infected the other, it just matters that we’ve been infected, and must first begin with individual change if we want to right the situation. And how do we accomplish those changes? I just came upon some very interesting words of Jesus, that memorable night in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When the disciples couldn’t stay awake, He said to Peter. ‘Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.’ (Mark 14:37-38) And is that ever so true friends! The Spirit of God that dwells within us is ever ready to help us set our lives aright, but the weak flesh that we naturally possess, that desires the ungodly things of the world puts up a pretty good fight against it. And if we aren’t careful, and prayerful, it’s so easy to fall into temptation and thus destroy the godly character we’re trying to build.
Bruh Paul calls it the struggle of two natures. As he explains in Romans 7: ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do I allow (understand) not: for what I would (want to do), that I do not; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto (agree with) the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would (want to do) I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:14-19)
Yeh friends, even the great Bruh Paul struggled with his flesh; the desire to do good, but doing evil instead. And because of that, he’s also a great example, showing us ‘the problems that all believers experience in their battle with sin.’ Yes my people, our flesh; our minds, bodies and souls through the ongoing efforts of the enemy, are often dominated by sin and sinful pursuits. And Bruh Paul said it this way to the Galatians. ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal. 5:17) And that’s the gospel truth fellow saints!
As the scholars explain. ‘ 5:17. One’s sinful human nature (flesh) and the Holy Spirit lusteth against one another, that is, they have desires and yearnings that are contrary to one another. The Christian, then, is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil. The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, who, in turn, attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires.’
Oh, it’s definitely not easy my people! But let’s remember that with Jesus running our lives, we can do anything, for ALL things are possible with Him! We just need to bear down, to watch and pray, to stand steadfast and strong in our faith and belief in His crowning glory, and remember that through His death on the cross, and His resurrection, the victory’s already been won, we just have to walk it out now. And we do that by diligently and efficiently using the generous blessings bestowed on us to do Christ’s work. We call them our Thursday Blessings.
And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken, let’s declare (yeahhh!) them right now over ourselves nuh. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Wow! What a magnanimous God we serve! It blows my mind every time I consider how generous and LOVING He is! So to show our sincere appreciation, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others nuh, as we are meant to. Much LOVE!
…the mind…the battlefield of life…
06 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gentle reminder, a positive outlook, a roaring lion, a sound mind, a strong will, a worthwhile example, ask and ye shall receive, bleating, Bless His Holy Name, curse, Day of Pentecost, do good, do the works I do, Elohim, even greater works, God anointed Jesus, God was with him, God's never late, He is indeed worthy to be praised, he that believeth on me, healing, Holy ghost power, in my name, jehovah god, joy, like a spring lamb, listen in love, LOVE, my own law, my own works of the flesh, negative word, oppressed with the devil, Praise the Lord, precious people of God, prosper, succeed, supernatural wisdom, teach an old dog new tricks, that will I do, the agent of Jesus, the father can be glorified in the Son, the first duty of love, the promise of answered prayer, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, to do God's work, to listen, unlimited resources, walk in LOVE, went about doing good, whatsoever ye shall ask, with power, with the Holy ghost, Yahweh, your joy may be full
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with the devil; for God was with Him.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t another beautiful day on God’s great earth, another chance to do God’s great work! And all God’s children said a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! For He is indeed worthy of much thanks and praise!’ And so He is my people!
And we need to thank Him especially for getting me up at a still decent hour even though I went to bed real real late; like around 6. Hn! Hn! My eyes opened at 8, but I wasn’t able to crawl out of bed until 9. Yes, I agree that it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, so as they say, better late than never. (smile) And I’m chuckling here because the Lord never gave me a particular time to send out the Bit, it’s just my own assertion and conviction that it should go out at a fairly early hour. So I am basically suffering through my own law, by my own works of the flesh. (smile)
And though they say the month of August has come in bleating, more like a spring lamb than a roaring lion, with cool temps and breezes, after the hottest July in many a day, do not fear, it will get hotter as it goes along. Don’t know if that’s bad or good news, (smile) but anyway, be that all as it may, here’s a most important thought for us to remember today: ‘The first duty of LOVE is to listen!’ So let’s raise up our LOVE listening today nuh, for it will do us and all those we come into contact with, a world of good.
And that’s what we basically ought to be about my brethren; doing good. That brings to mind this wonderful and very expressive scripture: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with the devil; for God was with Him.’ (Acts. 10:38) What a marvellous bit of scripture my people; a most worthwhile example of how we should be, a gentle reminder that we ought to follow the beautiful example of our Leader, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now please don’t say that we can’t, because we’re not like Jesus. Oh yes we are! God has also anointed us with the Holy Ghost! Remember after that memorable Pentecost Day when all believers immediately began receiving the Holy Ghost and its miraculous power? (Acts 2:1-4) So we have basically the same power that Jesus had. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power (Holy Ghost power), and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
We all spout that scripture, like so many others, but never really put them into action when they are truly needed, that’s why so many of us live fearful, anxious lives when there’s absolutely no need to. And if you don’t fancy Bruh Paul’s words, then hear Jesus’ nuh. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that my Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:12-14)
Oh my people, how much clearer can it get eh? And if you still don’t believe Jesus, then I don’t know what else to say nuh. (smile) Oh, let’s see if these explanations of the scholars help any. ‘14:12. Greater works: Greater in quantity, certainly not quality. Christ’s ministry was primarily to Israel. His followers were going to reach the limits of the world.’ ‘14:13-14. In my name means “as My agent.” The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (cf. 16:23-26). It is also linked here especially in the accomplishment of the “greater works.” The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.’
Ah friends, that’s the kind of God we serve; most magnificent, majestic and magnanimous! He will NEVER ask you to do His work without giving you the necessary tools and power and grace to successfully complete it! And I won’t tell you to read the scriptures quoted above in the scholars’ explanations, because I know that it will fall on too many deaf ears, (smile) but I will spoon feed you with the most important verse of that scripture, another one we know but don’t sufficiently put into action.
Here it is: ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:24) Mama Yo! What more we expect Jesus to do eh people – spoon feed us everything? He says to ask in His name and we’ll receive… with joy untold too! What more must He say eh? Obviously He doesn’t mean for us to be greedy and foolish and sinful and ask for all sorts of nonsense, but for worthwhile and necessary stuff so that we can do His will.
And yes, I know we often feel intimidated, or bashful or prideful about asking for things, but that’s what Jesus, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour says to do. And asking for stuff you believe you need is merely being obedient to His will. And you won’t get everything you ask for when you ask for it, especially if it’s a frivolous request. But I can promise you, that if you truly need it, you will receive it in His time, and believe me, He might be a bit tardy in our estimation, (smile) but He’s NEVER LATE! I can guarantee that from my personal experiences.
And as we go home today, let’s declare (brother – the devil must be at work here yes! just can’t spell that word) our Thursday Blessings, showcasing the magnanimity of our magnificent and majestic God, as He showers us with untold blessings to use in our daily walk, as we faithfully serve Him. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes my beautiful and precious people of Jehovah God, of Yahweh, of Elohim, let’s now go out and share those blessings just as generously as they were shared with us nuh! Much LOVE!
…listen in LOVE…so you can walk in LOVE…and do good…
31 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a faithful ambassador, a horror show, a lie, a sin, a wicked messenger, ambassadors of Christ, brings health, burn the candle at both ends, Caribana, Christians, controlling things, Covid-19 pandemic, defeat the virus and unrest, diligence, excellence, falleth into mischief, fellow saints in Christ, followers of Christ, Friday chant, lockdown, omnipotent help, people behaving irresponsibly, racial riots, reconciled to God, represent Christ, sinful world, still on His throne, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the long weekend, the Lord God Jehovah, the ordinary workingman, the right attitude, the weekend, this too shall pass, tools at our convenience, towards Him and His word, uncertain times, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, we can't help others, what a bam bam, working for Jesus
Proverbs 13:17. A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.
And then it was Friday and everybody…well most everybody was shouting with glee: ‘The weekend, the weekend, the long weekend at last!’ Yeh friends this is the Civic Holiday weekend, the first Monday in August. And it’s also what should have been Caribana weekend in Toronto with all the carnival stuff happening. But like most everything else the Covid-19 pandemic has put paid to that for this year. What a bam bam of a year this 2020 has been eh! (smile) But what to do eh? We need to know that the Lord God Jehovah is still on His throne and still controlling things and that with the right attitude towards Him and His Word, this too shall pass!
But enough of me, let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say nuh. And as always, he exclaims: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And thank God for this long weekend too! Just hope it not too hot and miserable though. And finally the rest of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is being released into the Stage 3 lockdown mode. More places opening and inside service in restaurants and stuff. That sounds good, but ah wondering how safe or sensible it is for them to make this decision on this long weekend eh, knowing how people behaving irresponsibly all over the place?
Just think about that house party last week up in Brampton nuh, with some two hundred people and cars parked all over the grass and wherever. Steups! Can yuh imagine how some of them going to behave with the freedom granted them over this long weekend? But who am I to question it eh? The government seem to think they know what they doing…ah certainly hope so yes, for all of our sakes. But me and mine not going to do anything much different, to what we been doing – barbequing and going for walks and playing games together.
I need to get some rest too, as well as cut down on the drinking and smoking. Ah finally realizing that I’m not as young as I used to be, and can’t burn the candle at both ends like I used to, and get away with it. Hn, Hn! Let us hope though, that the release in this lockdown don’t drive people crazy and they end up doing nonsense to cause the virus to start spreading again nuh, and we have to go back into another lockdown. Brother! Would that ever be a horror show!’
And isn’t that the God-awful truth people! Having the society locked down again will definitely cause much more panic and disobedience than the original seclusion did! So let’s pray that people will be sensible, serious and responsible nuh, and we won’t be forced back into a lockdown situation again, but keep reopening li’l by li’l, glory by glory.
As one voice, with sincere hearts, let’s declare (steups!) our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have racial riots and protests to put up with. Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help.
Yes, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah friends, so much of this recovery from our current sickness and strife depends on how we, followers of Christ, Christians behave. We need to show the world Christ though not only our talk, but more importantly through our actions and behaviour. Things like LOVE, compassion, care, forgiveness and mercy have to be prominently displayed by us in these dark, angry and dangerous times. This is when we truly have to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, showing forth our faithfulness in spades.
This is more a time for action rather than talk, and even though some of us are still in lockdown mode we can still do a lot to help those less fortunate than us. We now have so many tools at our convenience that it would be a lie, and a sin, to say we can’t help others. Yes my fellow saints in Christ, this is a time when the cream, we believers in Christ need to rise to the top, be true and good ambassadors of our Lord and Saviour. Bruh Paul said it quite plainly to the Corinthians. ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor. 5:20)
Oh friends, we who have been reconciled to God, become righteous and justified, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, now need to go out and do what He wants us to do. He is our leader, and followers ought to do what leaders desire of them. Just like political ambassadors represent their countries in foreign lands, we too need to represent Christ wherever we go. And like Cousin Sol so wisely declares (yeahhh!) in Proverbs: ‘A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.’ (Prov. 13:17)
Oh my people, please, I implore us to be faithful ambassadors of Christ in these dangerous and uncertain times, and thus bring health to our society. Much LOVE!
…truly working for Jesus…means diligence and excellence… from a compassionate heart…
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