14 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cakewalk, a compassionate heart, a passing observation, a positive outlook, a rich man, abundance, action, all things are possible, busy, Christ, Christians, courage, creativity, curse, desires of our hearts, divine protection, dreaming, easier for a camel, effort, enter the kingdom of God, faith, faithful, favour, get up off of our rear ends, go out of my mind, goals, help, hemming and hawing, holy spirit, hotter, in the name of Jesus, Jesus beheld them, Joyce Meyer, LOVE Revolution, medication, medicinally induced dreams, middle of September, my neck of the woods, negative word, nightmares, personal testimony, power in the Word of God, promotion, put your money where your mouth is, required tools, self-control, self-discipline, success, summertime, supernatural wisdom, take on dreams, talent, the distance between dreams and reality, the less fortunate, the living truth, the Lord came calling, Thusrday Blessings, to go through a needle's eye, wake up tired, with God, with men this is impossible
Matthew 19:26. But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.
In the summertime…summertime…summertime… Yeh friends, can you believe that in the middle of September, in my neck of the woods, we’ve been having constant temps in the mid to high 20’s range?
Wow! This week has been hotter than many in July and August. You can actually feel the sun burning your skin. Now please note, this is just a passing observation, it’s not a complaint, (smile) for we will take that kind of weather any and every time!
And I now understand why sometimes I wake up tired instead of refreshed. That’s because my medication has me dreaming constantly, and in the dreams I’m always busy doing something. It’s a good thing they are not nightmares, (smile) otherwise I’d go out of my mind.
And I just noticed an interesting take on dreams on a sticky I have in my Bible. It comes from sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). And she says: ‘The distance between dreams and reality is called action.’ Now that’s the living truth!
Now she’s not talking about my medicinally induced dreams (smile) but the things we’d like to achieve, our cherished goals, the desires of our hearts. Unless we get up off our rear ends and put them into action, they will always remain dreams, unrealized ones to boot.
And I guess many of us have dreams of things we’d like to do for Christ, but we’re not actioning them, so they are still dreams…useless to everyone, including Christ.
Ah friends, as the ole people would say, to get things done, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is. And that’s no lie. Until we put sincere and diligent effort into ANYTHING we want to do, NOTHING will get done.
And having Christ and His Holy Spirit on our side, as our more than willing associates and helpers, then NOTHING is impossible to us… if we seriously and willingly make the effort to put whatever it is into action.
Note Jesus’ words to His disciples after He told them that ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Matt.19:24) Obviously the disciples were amazed by that statement and were left wondering, who then could get into heaven?
And in our Bit, our Master had an answer for their problem.‘But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.’
Oh mih people, mih people, until ALL we Christians truly believe that statement deep down in our hearts and souls, and not just pay lip service to it, then our Christian faith and Christ’s LOVE Revolution will not progress as Jesus desires it to.
Too many of us refuse to put into action the things God puts in our hearts to do because we don’t believe that they can or will ever come to pass. But here’s a personal testimony. Some ten, almost eleven years ago when the Lord came calling about the Bit, I laughed and told Him I didn’t know enough scripture to do something like that.
But he persisted and eventually I gave in. And the first Bits were merely verses from the Bible, possibly with just a few words from me. But over time, as I have been faithful to His work, the Lord has been faithful to me and helped me until I’ve reached the current level.
Now, as Sister Joyce likes to say: I still haven’t arrived, but I’m certainly not where I used to be. And believe me friends, writing this Bit for over ten years now hasn’t been a cakewalk, but the Lord has guided me each and every step of the way.
Many times I’ve begun by telling you I didn’t know what to write about, but then I’ve ended up writing oodles of stuff. Do you think that was just me and my brilliance? Of course not! It was the Holy Spirit of God inspiring me to do His work.
And yuh think I was planning to give a testimony this morning? Not at all! But that’s where the Lord led me. So please friends, if the Lord has put anything in your hearts to do that falls under His will, stop hemming and hawing and get to it. For He won’t EVER ask you to do something and then not give you the required tools and help to do it.
And having said all of that, let’s declare those powerful Blessings of Thursday, which our wonderful God has so magnanimously rained down on us. In full 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!’
Now let’s go out and share those magnificent blessings with the less fortunate, as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ desires. Much LOVE!
…there is unbelievable power in the Word of God…if we would only use it…
15 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abide in me, all things are possible, battle armour, beliefs, Christian faith, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, Easter, events, faith in Jesus Christ, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's LOVE, Good Friday, gospel truth, grace, hope, human trait, I am the vine, I can do all things through Christ, Lent, lifting our spirits, look on the bright side, LOVE, Lucifer, negative manner, nomadic life, not in vain, not sufficient in ourselves, optimism, our sufficiency is in God, Paul, persecuted the church of God, positive, preaching Christ crucified, reconciliation with the Father, Resurrection Sunday, thanks and praise, the Corinthians, the grace of God, the moral of the story, the Philippians, the power to make me happy, this is the day the Lord has made, true potential, trust, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches, yesterday is dead
Philippians 4:13. I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me!
Well friends, it’s Easter Saturday; another season of Lent is over with the passing of Good Friday and Jesus is resting quietly in His tomb. Glory to God! We’re only waiting for the big day now; Resurrection Sunday, possibly the greatest day in the history of the Christian faith.
I know many people prefer Christmas to Easter, but without Easter there could be no death, thus no payment for sins, no Resurrection and consequently no reconciliation with the Father, salvation and eternal life. We’d be left forever wallowing in the deep and deadly mire of sin.
So Easter is indeed a most important time in our faith, that’s why we ought to celebrate it with joy and gladness, offering up songs of thanks and praise to our heavenly Father who made it all possible through His awesome, amazing, undaunted, unconditional LOVE for us.
But please remember, that though Lent is over and the celebrations will begin today, we must not overdo it, and give occasion to Lucifer to penetrate our spiritual battle armour. So let’s take Granny’s advice to heart, one more time; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ (smile) And that truly is some of the best advice we can ever receive my brethren.
Now since today is Saturday, I guess we ought to take a look at some other advice, this from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us in our daily living. He had some interesting advice this week. Listen to this one. ‘Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.’
And that’s certainly an option that’s open to us all. It’s like the verse from Psalm 118 that we often declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ It’s our choice how we view and then spend the day; it can either be in a positive or negative manner.
That brings us to this next quote: ‘Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.’
Now I don’t know if optimism is indeed the most important human trait, but it surely is a very important one, because it allows us to look on the bright side of every situation and gives us hope that things can get better, thereby lifting our troubled and worried spirits..
And this last quote reinforces all the others. ‘Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.’
And nobody knows that better than we Christian believers! Our faith in Jesus Christ can cause us to move mountains, as we believe that with our great God ALL THINGS are possible!
And that brings us to our Bit: ‘I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengtheneth me!’ Glory Hallelujah my believing brethren!
Like in Bruh Paul’s life, when he made that statement to the Philippians, our God places us in certain situations, and then gives us the enabling power to handle them. Whether we be rich or poor, abounding or abased, weak or strong, God gives us the strength, the power to be content in them all, regardless of their complexity and/or painfulness.
And we see this attitude and belief in all of Bruh Paul’s teachings, though how else could it be eh, seeing the rough, dangerous, nomadic life he led once he began preaching Christ crucified?
Listen to him in the first epistle to the Corinthians. ‘ For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.’ (1 Cor.15:9-10)
Yeh friends, it’s only through God’s saving grace that Bruh Paul could have survived all the dangers and rough times he encountered during his missionary journeys. And the same thing goes for us; only through God’s grace are we able to bear the trials and tribulations of this earthly life.
Now hear him in the second epistle to the Corinthians, as he talks about ministers in the New Testament. ‘And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God:’ (2 Cor,3:4-5) Yes friends, we are indeed nothing without God!
Now let’s end with the immortal and authoritative words on the subject, from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
And if there ever was real gospel truth, that’s it! Without an association with Christ we are powerless to do anything, much less to bear much good fruit in this life. So the moral of the story is to get in good with Christ, and stay attuned to Him all the days of our lives. And there’s no better time to do so than right now at Easter; the time of His awesome, world changing Resurrection! Much LOVE!
…only in and through Christ…do our lives live up to their true potential…
10 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a jasper, a rainbow, a sardine stone, all things are possible, all ye that labour, an emerald, an ole sinner, arthritic pains, at God's right hand, Christ is working in you, come unto me, compassionate, continue fighting, crowns, dial up a prayer, earthly pilgrimage, elders, find rest for your souls, gentle, George Nooks, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God is with you, God's footstool, God's throne, gracious, halfway home, heavy laden, his eyelids test, hold on to Jesus, humble, I can do all things, I love you Lord, I will give you rest, I'm not turning back, in heaven, in the midst of the storm, intercedes on our behalf, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, John the Revelator, kind, lack of sleep, learn of me, Lord and Saviour, loving, lowly of heart, meek, my burden is light, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my yoke is easy, neither by heaven, obedient to God's Word, only a prayer away, piggy back on Jesus, precious people, ride out the storm, successfully navigate life, swear not at all, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the breath of life, the children of men, the difficulties of life, the great invitation, the Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's eyes behold, the Lord's throne, the Most High God, the throne room, thrones, through Christ, to the very end, travail, trial, truth, under the weather, Wednesday Wail, white raiment, who strengthens me, wisdom, you're not alone, your morning is coming
Psalm 11:4. The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try (test), the children of men.
Oh friends, the ole fella’s a bit under the weather this bright and blessed Wednesday morning. Some of the old arthritic pains are acting up today, and a lack of sleep isn’t helping the situation either. Hn, hn! But yuh know what, the ole fella is going to persist, he’s going to continue fighting right to the very end.
I’m going to do like George Nooks says in his song: ‘Hold on to Jesus and ride out the storm. Ride out the storm. God is with you. You may not feel Him, But you’re not alone. I know you’re hurting. But your morning is coming. So just hold on to Jesus, and ride out the storm.’
Oh what words of truth and wisdom my precious people of God! Life’s not easy to successfully navigate, but when we hold on tightly to Jesus, we’re able to ride out each and every storm that blows up in our earthly pilgrimage.
That’s the beauty of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! With Him beside us, we can handle anything that comes against us. As Bruh Paul so succinctly but truthfully puts it to the Ephesians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13)
Yes my believing brethren, ALL things are possible when Christ is working with you! So if you’re hurting this morning, if you’re in the midst of any storm at all, I strongly advise that you get hold of Jesus, ask for His holy help, and just piggy back on Him, for He has promised to see you through all the difficulties of life.
Recently we spoke about His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Ah mih people, there’s no better or greater invitation that has ever been offered in all the long history of mankind! And yuh know what? Those of us who refuse to avail ourselves of that magnificent, most encouraging and uplifting offer are definitely not wise, we’re putting ourselves through much unnecessary travail and trial.
Life will bring enough of that to us, we don’t need to bring anymore on ourselves. So please remember that whatever we’re going through this morning, Jesus is only a prayer away; call Him, and He will surely come and help you.
Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with much enthusiasm, sincerity and truth. Wailing: ‘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!’
Mama Mia! How reassuring and uplifting is that eh mih people! Wow! Although I’m shuffling along like an old man this morning, (smile) I am still excited to be alive! How good it feels to breathe that godly breath of life, to feel it just coursing through my aching body!
And yuh better believe, I’m certainly not looking back, because my best days are still out in front of me, they’re all mixed up with the glorious future that Christ has planned for me!
And all I can shout is ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank You Lord for being so kind and gracious, so LOVING and compassionate to an ole sinner like me! I LOVE You Lord, and will try my best to be obedient to your word, all the days of my life! Amen!’
Yeh friends, if we’re not excited and enthusiastic to be alive, regardless of the difficulties we may be facing, then our connection to Jesus is not right. Please talk to Him, dial up a prayer to Him RIGHT NOW, and let Him help fix it.
And I’ve been so excited and rambling on so much that we barely have space and time for our Bit. ‘The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try (test), the children of men.’ More exciting and beneficial truth this Wednesday morning my faithful brethren!
Now let’s see how many scriptures which corroborate our Bit, we can fit into the available space and time we have. And there could be no better place to begin than with Jesus as He talks about oaths. ‘But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.’ (Matt.5:34-35)
And there’s also no better place to end than with the words of John the Revelator, as he is invited to visit the throne room of the Most High God. ‘And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight (appearance) like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats (thrones): and upon the seats (thrones) I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment (robes); and they had on their heads crowns of gold.’ (Rev.4:2-4)
Yes friends, a lot of stuff is happening around the throne of God in heaven. It’s from there that our lowly earth and lives are planned and controlled. Let’s not forget either, that that’s where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is operating from, as He sits at God’s right hand and intercedes on our behalf. Much LOVE!
…all things in the universe bow to the One who made them…He who sits upon His throne in the high heavens…
27 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide in me and I in you, all our sins and griefs to bear, all things are possible, doing God's work, Donnie McClurkin, earthly pilgrimage, everything to God in prayer, evidence of Jesus' power, faith, Gospel Concert, grace, happens in the best of families, He giveth power to the faint, Hezekiah Walker, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, joy, life just gives us time and space, LOVE Jesus, meaning, mercy, No one is guaranteed happiness, our God-given responsibility., share His love with the world, spiritual superman, surrender to Jesus, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the same bringeth forth much fruit, to them that no might he increaseth strength, truth, Tuesday Mantra, under the weather, we must fill it with joy and meaning, what a beautiful way to live, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches
Isaiah 40:29. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Aye Friends, it’s Tuesday and unfortunately the ole fella is late and somewhat under the weather. But I guess that happens in the best of families eh? (smile)
My ole right knee’s been acting up and doing some serious aching for the last couple days… Steups! It might even force me to cancel an appointment with a medic in the fair city of Toronto later on today to talk about my shoulder. Chuh!
But yuh know what? It isn’t going to stop me from going down the street later to see a big American Gospel concert featuring the likes of Hezekiah Walker and Donny McClurkin and a host of others. (smile)
Isn’t life great? It surely is my people. The aches and pains of old age and otherwise might slow us down, but we must not allow them to stop us from doing God’s work to the best of our limited ability.
And here is a most appropriate quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. It says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
Indisputable truth that my brethren! Regardless of how blessed or ‘unblessed’ we are, it is still and always will be our responsibility to put joy and meaning into our lives. So let’s stop looking to other things and people to make us happy and meaningful. It is our God-given responsibility to do that for ourselves.
And having made that point clear, let’s turn to our Tuesday Mantra and declare it with absolute faith, joy and meaning. (smile)
Altogether now: ‘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.’
More indisputable truth my people! And as the old hymn so rightly corroborates and reminds us: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!’
Yes Friends, whatever it is, good, bad or ugly, we need to take it all to Jesus and let Him help us sort it out, for without Him we cannot do much, but with Him…oh my people, ALL things are possible!
That’s why we can believe our Bit. ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’ What an awesome promise!
Then when we add the seminal, the seed bearing scripture of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me,’ (Phil.4:13) ohhh, we get a most powerful and faithful promise that just lifts us up and takes us to a whole new level!
Now I’d be rather amiss if I didn’t include the scholars’ explanation on that quote of Bruh Paul. ‘4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman. The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability.
Rather, he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances. God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
Yes Friends, the same thing applies to us all; the Lord orders or allows whatever circumstances we experience, then He, in His wondrous grace and mercy gives us the wherewithal to handle them. Now isn’t our God a wonderful Deity? He surely is! No other supposed deity does that for His followers.
And then to cap it all, we have Jesus’ take on the subject. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him; the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
Oh Friends, that’s what I LOVE about Jesus; He doesn’t hold anything back, He says it as it is: without Him, we can do nothing. And that’s the living truth!
Now here is a short explanation on that verse from the scholars’. ‘15:1-9. Jesus explains the divine human relationship by the analogy of a grapevine. Jesus is like the main vine. The disciples are compared with branches. The Father tends the branches like a gardener. At that time of year (when Jesus spoke those words), branches of grapevines would be budding in Jerusalem.’
So my people, with all that evidence of Jesus’ power and LOVE and care and compassion, why do we find it so difficult to surrender our lives to Him eh? Why are we so reluctant to put our entire trust and faith in Him?
I personally can’t see any good reason for that reluctance. But as we said earlier on, ‘life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’ And believe me, the most joy and meaning to be found in this earthly pilgrimage is in concert with Jesus!
That’s wisdom in spades my brethren! So please accept it, and put it into action. You will never regret it. Much LOVE!
…to know Jesus…ohhh…is just to LOVE Him…to LOVE and worship Him…with all our hearts mind, bodies and souls…what a beautiful way to live…
05 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: achieve victory, affirmation, all things are possible, anger, bitterness, Caribana, Christian's life, compassion, confronting struggles head-on, debt, debtor's prison, declaration, evil, falter, focus on God, forgiveness, God won't forgive you, God's best, God's given me strength to focus on Him, God's Word, gospel truth, hurt, I can, if you don't forgive, it's our best interest to forgive, lose god's joy, LOVE, mercy, negative emotions, nothing will hold me back, only believe, overcome struggles, parable of the unforgiving servant, personal experience, Praise the Lord, put hatred in our hearts, rancid, resentment, reside in our souls, selfish society, seventy time seven', sour, the cry of the poor, the party's over, think about ourselves, time of need, trespasses, unforgiveness, ungodly world, victory, weak, What I can do through Christ, withholding of forgiveness, you reap what you sow
Matthew 6:15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Ah Friends and neighbours, the party’s over, Caribana’s done with for another year! That means it’s time to get up and go to work, so you can earn some money for next year’s costume. (smile) Yeh, T.O. will return to some semblance of normalcy after the last four or five days of hectic gatherings. Praise the Lord!
And I sincerely hope that all those going back out to work today are not in too bad shape after all the partying and what not. In light of that, let’s boldly and confidently affirm this ‘I CAN’ affirmation.
‘I CAN have victory in my life by dealing with the things that are keeping me from God’s best. I am confronting my struggles head-on so I CAN overcome them. God has given me the strength to focus on Him and push through. NOTHING will hold me back. This is my declaration of what I CAN do through Christ.’
And if you believe all that Friends, then it’s doable! Remember Jesus said all we had to do was believe, for all things were possible through Him, if we simply believed.
In one particular aspect of our lives though, we seem to have a hard time believing, and that’s in the area of forgiveness. Please note what our Bit adamantly declares: ‘But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’
Yes Friends, it’s right there in black and white; if we don’t forgive our human brethren, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us. Why is that so difficult to understand eh?
Oh, I know that we’re living in a very selfish and grabby-grabby society that considers self to be of overriding importance, but if we’re confronted with such an important teaching, why, in heaven’s name, are we ignoring it to such a high degree?
Oh my people, we’re allowing the evil, ungodly world to intrude and have too much sway in our lives, only thinking about ourselves. On second thought though, this is one occasion when we should be thinking very much about ourselves.
Why? Because if we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven either. And all of us have a whole lot of things that we need forgiveness for.
Now, as we noted yesterday, forgiveness isn’t always easy, in fact, most times it’s pretty difficult, and sometimes, depending on the particular situation, it can take a while to accomplish. But without a doubt my fellow believers, it’s a MUST in EVERY Christian’s life!
And Cousin Sol gives us a good idea of how forgiveness, or in this case, how unforgivness works. ‘Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.’ (Prov.21:13)
Ah mih people, once again it’s the simple principle by which our mighty God runs His universe: you reap what you sow. So if you sow forgiveness, then you’ll reap forgiveness. But if you unwisely sow unforgiveness, then that’s what you’ll reap in your time of need.
And let us get one thing straight here my brethren; the second most important thing about forgiveness is that it’s not about the other person or persons involved in the situation, but primarily about us.
It’s in our best interest to forgive, not only because then will we also be forgiven, but because forgiveness doesn’t allow all the hurt, anger, resentment, bitterness and the many other negative emotions that often crop up, to reside in our souls and make us rancid and sour, and lose God’s joy, and put hatred in our hearts rather than LOVE.
And I can tell you this from personal experience my people. You feel so much better, emotionally, physically and mentally when you forgive.
Think about it this way nuh: somebody does you wrong, be it on purpose or not, what’s their reaction eh? Some may say they’re sorry, and truly are, while some might just ignore you and go on about their business, and others might not even realize that they’ve wronged you.
But tell me Friends, how will your withholding of forgiveness hurt or disturb them eh? In no way really; for they’ve either apologized, or don’t know, or don’t care! They’ve moved on with their lives, and it’s only you that’s left holding the sorry bag of unforgiveness, eating yourself up over the wrong that’s been done to you.
That’s certainly not a wise move my brethren. Just look also at what Jesus said to Peter when he asked, ‘Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but Until seventy times seven.’ (Matt.18:21-22)
Peter must have cried ‘Yikes!’ when he heard Jesus’ response. But that’s how important forgiveness is in Jesus’ circle my people; not just a few times, but numerous times. As the scholars wisely declare: ‘Unlimited forgiveness must characterize the true disciple.’
Then Jesus went on to elaborate, as He was wont to do, by telling them the parable of the servant who owed his employer oodles of money, but was unable to repay it, so he cried out for mercy, and his employer mercifully forgave him the entire debt.
But then, that same forgiven servant went out and found another servant who owed him a small sum, which he couldn’t repay at the time. However, when the servant cried out for mercy, he refused and had him thrown in debtor’s prison.
Remember the principle Friends; whatever you sow, you will reap. Now his fellow servants on seeing that unworthy reaction, went and told the employer of the forgiven servant’s unforgiveness.
‘Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt.18:32-35)
Oh Friends, that’s enough for today. Let’s take some time and ponder it all nuh, and see how our individual lives line up with God’s Word, then wisely ask Jesus to help us in those areas in which we’re weak, or tend to falter.
You know He will be only too glad to help, because He is indeed our Helper. Much LOVE!
…forgiveness is often more important to the forgiver than the forgivee…and that’s the gospel truth…
16 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a divine necessity, a positive idea in the mind of a believer, abundant life, Adam and Eve, all things are possible, Amen, be not afraid only believe, belief, Botanical Gardens, clutches of sin, confession, decry, demon spirit, disparage, dr robert h schuller, earthly things, Eureka moment, faith, faltering faith, fear not, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, glorious deliverer, glory, glory hallelujah, god-given idea, heavenly things, help my unbelief, honesty, Hour of Power Devotional, if you can believe, impossible to fool God, inner turmoil, insincerity, Jairus, jehovah god, Jesus, Jesus' desires, Jesus' glory, Jesus' resurrection, Julie, julie mango, life is too short not to enjoy it, Lordship, LOVE, Lucifer, majesty, memorable words of Jesus, Messiah, Moses, most powerful force, mouth watering flesh, My walk, Nicodemus, Old Testament, only believe, peril of understanding, repentance, road to Emmaus, salvation, significance of Jesus, slow of heart to believe, stupidity, suffering, testify, tittilate the senses, Tobago, true and faithful believer, trust, truthful words of Jesus, understanding, walk of faith, walking in God's will, witness, words of jesus
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella experienced a Eureka moment yesterday afternoon! Glory Hallelujah! I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this info before, but in the last little while I’ve developed this theory, and yesterday afternoon, while out on my deck eating a Julie (July) mango, the last few threads fell into place.
And the conclusion my people – wait for the drum rolls braising brass and clanging symbols – is that the nonsense about Eve giving Adam an apple to eat in the garden of Eden, that made mankind fall into the dire clutches of sin is just that –nonsense! The forbidden fruit that they disobediently ate was a Julie mango!
Oh mih breddren, the Julie I ate yesterday was pretty nice; so nice that when I was finished you could only see the white of the seed. Now that’s how a Julie should have you going; right down to the seed!
It just puts me in mind of those wonderful Julies we use to steal, or rather get unofficially (smile) from the Botanical Gardens back in Tobago when I was growing up. And this one, though nice, was no match for those. So you can imagine what the ones in the Garden of Eden were like. Mama Mia!
So from now on Friends, when you hear about the forbidden fruit in Paradise, just remember that it was a sweet, succulent, golden yellow Julie mango, with a beautiful aroma wafting from it that just titillated all the senses – sight, smell, touch and taste – and sound too, as you bite into the juicy, mouth watering flesh!
And all God’s people said a loud and joyful ‘Amen!’
Oh Friends, life is too short not to enjoy it. Remember that Jesus said He came that we might have abundant life. And in any case, who is there that has overwhelming facts to prove my theory wrong eh? Nobody!
And though Lucifer might not be too bright in trying to overthrow Almighty God, he was smart enough not to try and entice Eve with a simple apple, when there was that exotic Julie mango available; looking so good, and smelling so nice.
So now that we’ve had our daily fun, let’s turn to our walk of faith with Jehovah God. And today I want to share this inspiring poem from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. It’s simply titled, ‘My Walk.’
‘O God, I’m inspired. For you have just impressed this truth into my mind: The most powerful force in the world is a positive idea in the mind of a believer who is walking in your will! I now reach forth my life and say, “God, put my life into the centre of your will.” Amen.’
Yes my people, there’s nothing more powerful than a God-given idea in the mind of a true and faithful believer! That’s why we have to look to God for direction in our lives, and why Jesus encouraged Jairus, the synagogue leader, and consequently us in our Bit: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
Yes my brethren, it all begins with belief, strong belief, aka faith! And today we’ll look at some other passages of scripture where Jesus enjoined the people of His day, and now of our day, to believe, to have faith.
Let’s start with the demon spirit in the child that the disciples could not drive out. What did Jesus say to the father who came seeking His compassion and His help? ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark 9:23) Strong, but very truthful words, my people!
‘And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’ (Mark 9:24)
And the scholars have an interesting footnote to that last verse. ‘9:24. He had a certain faith; but it was confession of his undeniable inner turmoil and doubt that marked his faltering faith as truly authentic, if imperfect, trust. Before God honesty is a wise course.’
And isn’t that the obvious truth! Yet so many of us go to God with a less than honest approach. He sees all, and knows all, so why try to fool Him eh, when it’s simply IMPOSSIBLE to do that? It just shows up our stupidity, insincerity and lack of true faith and understanding.
Now in Luke’s gospel, re the instance of our Bit, where the people of Jairus’ household came and told him that his daughter was dead and so to stop bothering Jesus, it’s told like this. ‘But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’ (Luke 8:50)
And then we come to the passage of scripture, where shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, He’s walking along the road to Emmaus with two believers who obviously don’t recognize Him, and they are recounting the confusion and disbelief back in the disciples camp in Jerusalem, as to whether Jesus was really risen or not.
‘Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27)
Now here is what the scholars have to say about those verses. ’24:26. Ought (Gr. dei) bespeaks a divine necessity; what the prophets had foretold (see Is:53, Ps.16; 22) must and did come to pass. The disciples had been ready to see in Jesus a glorious deliverer, but Jesus’ rebuke (vs.25) relates to their unwillingness to take seriously the many Old Testament texts that speak not only of the Messiah’s glory, but also of His suffering.’
’24:7. The entire Old Testament is indispensable for a grounded grasp of the identity and significance of Jesus.’
And right there Friends, is where a whole lot of believers fall down; wrongly thinking that the Old Testament is just that; old and out of date! But without understanding the Old Testament, we can NEVER fully understand the New, because they are both so closely intertwined.
The New is basically the Old brought to life, to fulfillment through Jesus. It’s like the saying; you can’t know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you came from. So Friends, please don’t decry, don’t disparage and cry down the Old Testament, because you do so at your own peril of understanding.
And we’ll close with these memorable words of Jesus to Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who came by night to Jesus, looking for answers. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?’ (John 3:11-12)
And unfortunately Friends, even to this day, we refuse to believe the truthful words of Jesus! How sad my people.
But fortunately, a few of us do believe, and that few will soldier on in faith, until we bring all the earth to repentance and salvation, as Jesus desires; to the recognition of His glory and majesty and Lordship! That’s our sincere belief and wish for all believers today! Much LOVE!
…fear not…only believe…only believe…only believe…
15 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admit our wrongs, all things are possible, be not afraid only believe, be right with Jesus, belief in Jesus, believe, believe and you're halfway there, bounden duty, Chinese Proverb, early to bed early to rise, exhibiting belief and faith, expectant faith, faith, fall on our knees, fearful, glorifying Jesus, go in peace, hungry hope, issue of blood, Jairus, Jesus Christ, Jewish law, late to bed late to rise, LOVE, rebuke, Red Letter Day, riddim of the falling rain, strong belief, the longest journey begins with the first step, Theodore Roosevelt, thy faith hath made thee whole, tools in man's arsenal, truth
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Oh Friends, it was one of those nights when the early to bed, early to rise situation was replaced by the late to bed, therefore late to rise tactic. And believe me, the rising wasn’t made any easier by the gentle riddim of the falling rain. (smile) But we all know that once there’s hungry hope and expectant faith, all things are possible.
And that’s worthily enhanced by our word from my almanac for today: ‘BELIEVE!’
Now that’s one of the strongest tools in man’s arsenal, my people! So much so that Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the 26th U.S. President, is reputed to have declared: ‘Believe and you’re halfway there.’
And there’s certainly a lot of truth in that statement, my brethren. The first action in any thing is usually one of belief; believing you can do it, or that the action is possible. As the Chinese Proverb also declares: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’
But Friends, we cannot take that first step until we believe that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is worth journeying for, is worth sacrificing whatever is necessary to achieve it. And believe me Friends – yes it’s a day of belief – anything that’s worthwhile striving for, will include a fair amount of sacrifice.
But the elementary position in it all must first be belief. As we said earlier, belief that the thing is possible, and also belief that you can carry it out to a successful ending. That’s why our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ placed so much emphasis in His teaching on belief.
Our Bit says it quite clearly: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
And a very important aspect of any situation is that once we believe, we need to keep on believing, for belief is not a one time, one and done thing, but a continuous process, especially where Jesus Christ is concerned!
Now let’s look at the situation under which Jesus spoke the words of our Bit. And it was indeed a red-letter day, one of the many in Jesus’ earthly sojourn. For on that day, as He was on His way to heal a ruler of the synagogue’s (Jairus) daughter, a woman in the huge crowd who had suffered from an unusual blood flow for 12 years, BELIEVED!
She had spent all her money on medical treatment, but instead of getting better, she just got worse. But that day, when she heard that Jesus was in town, she hurried down to see him. ‘For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.’ (Mark 5:28)
What belief, what faith my people! So she surged through the crowd and touched His clothing. ‘And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:29)
Yes Friends, the power of belief is a helluva thing, especially if that belief is in Jesus Christ!
And the scholars explain the woman’s possible reasoning. ‘5:28. Popular belief had it that a person’s dignity and power extend to what he wears.’
And in that light, her actions make complete sense. But what’s also interesting is that with all the crowd milling around Him, and everybody pushing and shoving to get a better position, Jesus knew immediately that something was amiss; ‘knowing in himself that virtue (power) had gone out of him, turned him about in the press (crowd), and said, Who touched my clothes?’ (Mark 5:30)
The disciples were obviously astounded by His question, as there were so many people around Him. ‘And he (Jesus) looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:32-34).
Yes my people, faith can only come from belief! In fact, simply put, faith is strong belief!
And the scholars give us this interesting explanation of the woman’s behaviour. ‘5:33. The woman would be fearful of a rebuke, since her bleeding rendered her “unclean” according to Jewish law. She ought not to have been mixing in the crowd, nor reaching out purposely to touch a man. That she owned up indicates that her interest lay not only in physical health: she wanted to be right with Jesus Himself. Her faith, not the grasp of her hand, brought restoration to her.’
That brings up an interesting and oh so important question my brethren; how many of us sincerely want to be right with Jesus eh? So right that we fall on our knees and admit our wrongs?
Hopefully all believers, since it’s a rite of our faith, of our belief in Jesus! For now though, we’ll just leave that question and its answer to circulate in our souls, (smile) and continue with the story of that red-letter day.
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master (Teacher) any further?’ (Mark 5:35)
And to that statement, the scholars declare: ‘5:35. Obviously, Jesus has intentionally let the time pass in which He might have preserved the girl’s life.’
And the Good Book continues: ‘As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36)
Yes Friends, all we have to do is BELIEVE!
So today, let’s get the ball rolling on belief nuh; particularly in strong belief in Jesus! And for those of us who already have that strong belief in Him, let’s go out and teach and show others by our words and actions how that belief plays such a great and wonderful part in our lives. For that’s what Jesus expects of His followers, of His true believers. In fact it’s our bounden duty as a true believer!
So let’s go out and do our duty, make Jesus proud of us by exhibiting belief and faith as strong as, if not stronger than the woman in the story with the issue of blood, thereby glorifying Him to all with whom we come into contact. Much LOVE!
…one can’t truly believe in Jesus…without it being showed in one’s actions and words…
P.S. Oh my people, the lateness of the Bit was even further aggravated by my security company wanting to do an important update in the middle of my writing, then needing me to shut down the computer so that the update could take effect. It certainly was aggravating. But I guess that’s a part of the whole computer scene, and we just have to grin and bear it. Again, my humblest apologies. (smile) Much LOVE!
27 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abram, adversity, all things are possible, almighty god, as your heavenly Father is perfect, assurance, be perfect, blameless, child of God, complete, El Shaddai, Epaphras, exhortations, expectant faith, faith, faith and humility, fully assured in God's will, furthering God's kingdom, God uses trouble to mature us, God's glorification, God-like characteristics, godly love, goodness, heavenly presence of God, holy spirit, hungry hope, hypocrites, labouring fervently, lacking nothing, let patience have her perfect work, lukewarm faith, mercy, mirror image of Jesus, morally perfect state, negative assessment, new creation in Christ, perfect in Christ Jesus, Pharisees, progressive maturity, satiate, satisfy, scribes, servant of Christ, sinless, stand perfect and complete, strong, talk our talk, the will of God, triune God-head, true reflection of God, trusting in God's goodness and mercy, vibrant, walk our talk, warning
Matthew 5:48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’
Oh Friends, today is one of those days when I don’t have a clue as to how to get the Bit going. (smile) But nonetheless, trusting in our wonderful God’s goodness and mercy, I am putting pen to paper, believing, having hungry hope and expectant faith that He will lead and guide me by His Holy Spirit to write something worthwhile. Something that will eventually lead to His glorification and the furtherance of His everlasting kingdom.
And if, perchance, He chooses not to run around today in a preamble, (smile) then we’ll just get straight into our Bit, because there are several scriptures which corroborate it, that need to be shared.
Anyway, I just want to say here that I dearly LOVE those two phrases I used above; hungry hope and expectant faith. I don’t remember where I first read them, but they certainly resonated, made a huge impact on me. The imagery seems so perfect – a hope that’s hungry, and a faith that’s expectant. They just seem to be made for each other!
And from here on in, that’s exactly how I want us to feel and behave. Let’s try to have a sense of hope that’s so strong and vibrant, reflecting the way we feel when we are dying from hunger and want food in the worst way, to satisfy and satiate our growling stomachs.
Likewise, with faith, let’s endeavour to have real great expectations of whatsoever we’re believing in and for, because passive, wishy-washy, lukewarm faith just doesn’t cut it. Moreover, if we truly want to attain to the level of our Bit, we desperately need a hope that’s truly hungry and a faith that’s really expectant, for how else can we become perfect like our heavenly Father eh?
‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’
And remember, yesterday the scholars explained being perfect doesn’t mean ‘sinless,’ but rather ‘complete,’ having a passionate, godly LOVE, burning within us for both those who LOVE us and those who don’t. In other words, my people, a true reflection of our Creator.
And in fact Friends, from the earliest days, our God has been trying to get us to be perfect and complete. Listen to the words He spoke to Abram. ‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God (El Shaddai), walk before me, and be thou perfect (blameless).’ (Gen.17:1)
Then back in the New Testament, we have Bruh Paul, re his service for Christ, writing thus to the Colossians: ‘(Christ) Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.’ (Col.1:28-29)
Then in his closing exhortations in Chapter 4, he writes: ‘Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth (greets) you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete (filled) in all the will of God.’ (Col.4:12)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘4:12. That ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God means that “you may appear perfect and fully assured in all His will.” Like 1:23, 29, this refers to the Colossians being ushered into God’s heavenly presence in a morally perfect state. When this someday occurs, their experience of progressive maturity and assurance will have preceded it.’
Meanwhile, James, in talking of faith and humility encourages us: ‘But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:4)
And per the scholars: ‘1:4. The natural response to adversity is to escape it. But God uses trouble to mature His people.’
Ah mih people, to be a true child of God, a new creation in Jesus Christ, we definitely do need to improve our God-like characteristics. Otherwise we’ll end up being big hypocrites, just like the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ time – looking good on the outside, but terrible on the inside.
So please, let’s talk our talk, and then walk that talk big time, so that that negative assessment Jesus made of the Pharisees and them, will never be made against us.
If we want to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, we have to work at being like Him and our heavenly Father – perfect and complete in every way. It’s not easy to do in this godless and wicked world, but with the help of our triune God-head, remember that ALL THINGS ARE INDEED POSSIBLE!
That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…as believers…in all our words and deeds…the world ought to see reflected in us…a mirror image of Jesus…so that they can come to know Him too…
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