29 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a momentous decision, all liars, all of them shall wax old like a garment, and the lust thereof, as a vesture shalt thou change them, as for me and my house, Behold, behold I make all things new, Bible, black ice, blessings and cursing, catches our attention, christianity, coming down from God out of heaven, compassion, contemplate our association with God, deepen my breath, divine peace, easing the stress and tension, faith, forgiveness of sins, freezing rain, God desires greater intimacy with man, God himself shall be their God, God shall wipe away all tears, gracious and merciful connection, have their part in the lake, he that does the will of God abides forever, he that sat upon the throne said, he will dwell with them, heaven and earth shall pass away, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, I want to be with you now, ice accumulation, idolaters, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justification, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lift up your eyes to the heavens, look upon the earth beneath, LOVE, many of us are experiencing, meditating on your quality of life, mercy, murderers, my righteousness shall not be abolished, my salvation shall be forever, my words shall not pass away, neither sorrow, New Jerusalem, no more death, no more pain, no more sea, nor crying, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, one truth from the Bible, our fault, our sinful nature, personal desires, physical desires, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, putter around, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, righteousness., salvation, sanctification, self-interest, set before you life and death, sexually immoral, shall die in like manner, sindul things of the world, slow my thoughts, sorcerers, stay home, thank you for this tenderness, that both you and thy seed may live, the abominable, the children of thy servants shall continue, the earth shall wax old like a garment, the fearful, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the gospel truth, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, the holy city, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the opposite end of the spectrum, the permanence of God's Word, the pride of life, the second death, the tabernacle of god is with men, the things of God, the things of God will endure forever, the things of the world, the things of the world will disappear, the transient nature of the physical world, the unbelieving, the world passes away, their seed shall be established before thee, therefore choose life, these words are true and faithful, they shall be his people, they that dwell therein, thou art the same, thy years shall have no end, to come to Him, to our benefit, to witness against you, truth, turbulent times, unexpected consequences, waiting with open arms, we will serve the Lord, whoremongers, wisdom, you can't be contained, your love surrounds and fills me, your peace and lover are present
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
And the weekend’s begun with a wet, chilly, lazy-day Saturday, with the promise of freezing rain and consequently an ice accumulation. And believe me, that’s the worse part of the winter – ice. The snow, you can at least see and navigate through, but the ice so often is invisible, and you walk or drive through it indiscriminately and suffer severe, unexpected consequences. Hence this famous term for it on the roadways; black ice. But tell me nuh, why is everything supposedly dangerous or bad given the misnomer of ‘black’ eh? And unfortunately, to the minds of many white folks, that tendency is also associated with black people.
But that’s a story for another day. The important thing right now is if you don’t have to go out, don’t. Just stay at home and putter around, doing little or nothing important, or simply lazing and meditating on the quality of your life. This is a good time when it’s peaceful and quiet to contemplate our association with Almighty God. But if you must go out, then be very careful, because the temperature is right around the freezing mark, which means ice can be hiding underneath the apparently solid ground.
Now, on a brighter note, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And the divine peace and calm simply starts flowing into our connected spirits, easing the stress and tension that so many of us are experiencing in these tough and turbulent times. What a joy it is to be in the Lord’s presence, to have greater intimacy with Him than we normally do. But that’s our fault, for He desires greater intimacy with all His creation, and He’s just waiting with open arms for us to come to Him. However, for whatever reason, too many of us hesitate or refuse to make that unbelievable, gracious and merciful connection, which can only benefit us.
Meanwhile, the Lord is wondering what else He has to do to get His most precious creation to come to Him. He’s offered, LOVE, grace, mercy, salvation, compassion, forgiveness of sins, justification, sanctification, righteousness, etc. etc. What else does He have to do to get us to sincerely turn to Him eh? I guess the bright, shiny, unimportant sinful things that the world offers catches our attention and our sinful nature more than the things God offers. But please note, that the things of the world eventually will disappear along with those who sadly embrace them, but the things of God will endure forever, along with those who wisely and joyfully embrace them.
Remember what we recently read in John’s first epistle. ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (physical desires),and the lust of the eyes (personal desires), and the pride of life (self-interest), is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:16-17) Truer words were never spoken my fellow believers!
And if you don’t believe John, then listen to Jesus as He talks about the signs for His second coming. He emphasizes: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt. 24:35) There again, He stresses ‘the permanence of God’s words compared to the transient nature of the physical world.’
And the psalmist said it in such beautiful poetry, way back in olden times. ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed (descendants) shall be established before thee.’ (Ps. 102:25-28)
Yes friends, even the old time people knew that this world would end eventually along with the wicked who refused to accept God as their Lord and Saviour. And Isaiah’s prophecy on the Lord’s behalf was even more forceful. He wrote: ‘Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax (grow) old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished (broken).’ (Is: 51:6)
And if you still need further clarification, then try these words of John from Revelation. ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne (Jesus) said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Well friends, if you’re still not satisfied, then all I can say, that’s too bad, because that’s the Word of the Lord which is the gospel truth. Oh…but wait a minute, this other scripture might help you make up your mind. ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.’ (Rev. 21:8)
Now that’s the opposite end of the spectrum, so it’s up to you to decide how you want to go. But wisdom hearkens back to these words of Moses to the Israelites. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:’ (Deut. 30:19) Let’s hope that we all make the right decision, and like Joshua, eventually say with great determination: ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15b) And all of heaven said a loud and glad ‘Amen!’
Oh my fellow saints, what a momentous decision for a wet and chilly lazy-day Saturday! (smile) Much LOVE!
…one truth from the Bible…is worth more than…all the wisdom of man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
16 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christ-like attitude, a new theatre of strife, as for me and my house, be grateful, be the salt of the earth, Bible, bring about positive change, called me to his eternal glory in Christ, Christian, christianity, Christians are action oriented, elect God-fearing leaders, god, hearts and souls, hurry, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, If God be for me who can be against me, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE is of God, make me strong firm and steadfast, one one cocoa full basket, share His love with my neighbours, sincere action figures, something good is going to happen to me, something good is going to happen to me today, step up to the plate, suffered a little while, the beloved of God, the dustbin of history, the foolishness of man, the fullness of life in Christ, the God of all grace, the light of the world, this is the day the Lord has made, this too shall pass, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, turn up their noses, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, will Himself restore me, wisdom, worry
Psalm 118:24. This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Then it was Tuesday, and another uncomfortable, disturbing Monday has been flung into the dustbin of History! There’s also no doubt that spring has seriously sprung now! Yes! We had some good showers in the mornings over the weekend, but by afternoon the sun had come out strong and vibrant, actually spreading some warmth, and yesterday was a particularly beautiful spring day, despite it being Monday. (smile) Today is supposed to be another of those beautiful days with temps in the high teens.
So let’s be grateful and thank our great God for all the blessings He’s bestowing on us, by gratefully declaring (yesss!!!): ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And while we’re at it, why don’t we declare a few more very useful acclamations, like: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And what about this most useful one: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me? NOBODY!’ (Rom. 8:31)
Then there’s this non scriptural acclamation, but every bit as true: ‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’ (Euripides) And that’s the gospel truth! Oh how much better our world would be if supposed friends would show up in times of trouble and help, instead of running away like scared chickens! Next up is this wonderful acclamation first proclaimed by Joshua. ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15)
Now what about this gem: ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to his eternal glory in Christ after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. Glory to God!’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Now that one is a bit long and somewhat tough to master both in memory and deed, but if we can ever get it right in our hearts and souls, our lives will be much better attuned to the vagaries and eccentricities of this world, because we’ll know without a doubt, that whatever comes against us is only for a time, and that our great God, will, in His time, restore us to the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.
Unfortunately though, a lot of people turn up their noses at acclamations, but that’s just the foolishness of man, because when we acclaim the scriptures or anything that is good and true, we reinforce the goodness and strength of God within ourselves, so when tragedy or trouble strike, we have enough confidence in our system to allow us to handle it with a good, Christ-like attitude. Finally, there’s this acclamation that sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! Good things happen to us, and good things happen through us, for that’s the will of God. He delights in working through His wonderful followers. That’s why Jesus kept telling us to LOVE each other, for LOVE is of God. And if we’re showing true, brotherly LOVE to one another, then we’re behaving like God, and that’s what it’s all about…behaving like Christ as much as possible. And with our world in a sad and sorry state of strife, war, greed, hunger, poverty, sickness and natural disasters, we desperately need Christians to step up to the plate and be the salt of the earth and light of the world that Jesus expects us to be.
Oh my fellow believers, no one else is going to change our disastrous world if we don’t. Please, let’s understand that. Change, or rather positive and productive change will only come if we supposed Christians get up off of our lazy, comfortable, entitled fannies and do the work necessary to bring about positive change. We’ve got to stop the plentiful talking for which we’re so famous, and instead become serious and sincere action figures, who are getting things done, like Christ desires!
It’s sad to see our world degenerating, deteriorating more and more with each passing day. For every day we hear about a new theatre of strife, and none of the old ones are closed, as well as starvation and sickness somewhere else in our world of plenty. What’s wrong with us eh? And the sad part is that many of our leaders who are promulgating the negative stuff claim to be believers in Christ Jesus, to be Christians. But how can we reconcile their warlike and evil actions with a supposed Christian nature eh? No way!
The trouble also stems from the fact that too many of us believers claim we can’t do anything about the worldwide situation, and that might be true to a certain extent, but what about electing true God-fearing leaders eh? And what about the negative situations right in our own neighbourhoods? Now don’t tell me that there aren’t any, because there are oodles of fixable problems in each and every neighbourhood, which Christians could be helping to alleviate, if we so desire, and thus making our little part of the world better. But, with our sad attitude of indifference, we all sit and wait for someone else to fix the problems.
However, what did some wise someone once say. If we want peace, let it begin with me. Yes friends, anything we truly desire has to begin with us! We each have to develop the habits of movers and shakers in our own areas, if we ever expect to see positive change. And we don’t have to start with big changes, small ones will do. For as my Jamaican people tell us: one one cocoa full basket. And it certainly does. Each small change we make builds up in number, till we have a full basket of them.
So please my fellow saints, let’s get up and get a move on nuh, let’s start taking back our beautiful world from the evil doers, who are just bent on destroying it, and sending both it and us down to Hades with the evil one. And that’s not an acceptable option. But it’s only if we wake up and start smelling the roses, will it ever change. End of Sermon. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel.
As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that proclamation, we are now bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…whether it’s in peace or war…actions always speak louder than words…and Christians are action oriented people…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a different perspective on life, a no brainer, a prisoner of myself, all of life turned right side up, all of life upside down, as for me and my house, at the end of my rope, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, christ is the winner every time, christianity, come unto me all ye that labour, come without feeling, defenseless, don't climb, don't compete, don't cringe, endure to the end, eternal life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, find rest unto your souls, glorious sunshine, halfway home, hands on the plough, I am meek and humble, I called upon the Lord in distress, I came, I will give you rest, Jesus Christ, Lord look at me just look at me, LOVE, mercy, never hunger, never thirst, not turning back, Reversal, see without eyes, set me in a large place, spiritual bread, take my yoke upon you, thank God, the BIBLE, the bread of life, the breath of life, the Lord answered me, the Lord set me free, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, walk without feet, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without merit or hope
Psalm 118:5. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.
Oh my people, there’s glorious sunshine in my neighborhood It’s also pretty cold…but who cares eh? The sun’s shining brightly, that’s all that matters! And yesterday, despite the cloudiness and snow, we also had some sunshine for a part of the early afternoon, so we can’t complain. Now that’s what winter is supposed to be all about!
And having said all of that, I just discovered a wonderful poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘REVERSAL.’ As usual, I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but if I did, it’s certainly worth sharing again, (smile) especially in these rough and ungodly times, when we’re all experiencing serious problems.
So please read with me: ‘I said: Lord, look at me Just look at me All of life upside down – Tangled emotions smeared with fear Guilt Despair Disgust A prisoner of myself. The hopeless thing is that It’s all decided. I’m defenseless At the end of my rope Locked in And I’ve tried, Lord Tried desperately. But how does one see without eyes Or walk without feet? How, Lord? You said, Come unto me. You need not cringe Nor climb Nor compete Nor change Come even without feeling without tokens Without merit or hope… But come. Come now. I came And all of life Turned right side up.’
Wow! I just LOVE that poem, for it’s the gospel truth and I can certainly testify to it, as many of you my fellow believers also can, because that’s exactly what happens when we sincerely turn our attention to Christ and surrender our all to Him. Our lives are inexplicably turned around. And although our circumstances might not change very much, we are able to bear them much better than before.
The thing is, that with Christ in our lives we develop a completely different perspective on life; one that promotes positivity and the concept that any and everything is possible with God. So we no longer feel alone and disgusted with ourselves because we are not living up to whatever standards we think we ought to. Oh friends, it’s important to go to Christ just as we are, broken and disgruntled. As the poem says: ‘there’s no need to cringe, or climb, or compete, or change. Just come; even without feeling, without tokens, without merit or hope…but just come.’
And that’s exactly how Jesus expects and welcomes us. Regardless of our position, He just wants us to come…come as we are, and He will fix us up. It’s as the psalmist says in the Bible Promise for our poem. When talking about God’s mercy, he confidently states: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.’ (Ps. 118:5) One translation says ‘he set me free.’ And that’s what He will do if you entrust your heart, mind, body and soul to Him.
And you cannot get a better scripture that encompasses it all than Christ’s Great Invitation! No friends, how can you ever top this bold and compassionate invite? ‘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) Oh my people, what an invitation! And you’d be really foolish and unwise not to take Jesus up on it, because no one else has such an invitation to offer. Certainly not the evil one, Satan.
Now, it doesn’t mean that your life will then be all peaches and cream. No! For in this evil, ungodly world you will always have trials and tribulation, but as Jesus said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That’s the important part my brethren; to know and believe that Christ has overcome the world, so there’s no need for us to fear what man or beast can do to us.
Unfortunately though, in this world, it’s imperative we bow to somebody, and we only have two serious options, Satan or Christ. But since Christ’s yoke and burden are much lighter and have many more good rewards than Satan’s, especially the forgiveness of sins and life eternal in heaven, it only makes sense to accept him as Lord and Saviour. It’s the wisest decision you’ll ever make. And besides, your worst day with Christ, is going to be better than your best day with Beelzebub! That’s for sure!
Now listen to Jesus as He again offers what no one else can offer. He said to the crowd that followed him: ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) Yes mih bredrin, the people were looking for physical bread and drink to quench their physical hunger, but Jesus was talking about the spiritual bread, the bread which gives eternal life. And for sure, NO ONE ELSE can make that kind of offer in all sincerity and truth! Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can make and keep it!
So there we have it; two options in life: Put your trust in Satan and end up in hell with eternal separation from Almighty God, or put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and end up in heaven with eternal life to look forward to. And there is no doubt or hesitation on my part as to which is the better option. I’m going to do like Joshua and say: ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 25:15) That’s my unalterable position. And for those of us who feel the same way, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And there’s a further promise that if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the choice between Satan and Christ…it’s a no brainer…Christ is the winner… EVERY TIME…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amend our evil ways, another glorious day, as for me and my house, autumnal change of colours, between a rock and a hard place, bring down my gray hairs, considered spies, damned if you, damned if you don't, desperately crying out for help, dysfunctional family, evil can only be contereacted by good, Friday chant, go again, go boldly to the throne of grace, God will supply all my needs, hold his head and bawl, If God be for me who can be against me, intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE, my neck of the woods, omnipotent help, Praise the Lord, return backsliders to your fold, rot in jail, sincerely seek God's face, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the famine was sore in the land, through His riches in glory, trusting faith, unless your brother be with you, unseasonal weather, waxing philosophical, we will serve the Lord, with sorrow to the grave, ye shall not see my face
Genesis 43:1. ‘And the famine was sore (severe) in the land.
And it’s another glorious day in my neck of the woods! How can I not give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for allowing me to see such wonderful weather in the last week of September eh? Usually, by now, the chilly winds would be blowing and the trees far into their autumnal change of colours and ridding themselves of the leaves, so that they can hunker down for the winter without too much baggage. (smile) But only a few have yet begun that process, and most of the leaves are still green and lively.
So, when we declare (yesss!!!) ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we must not only consider that the work week is over and the week end is here, but also include a thought for the good, somewhat unseasonal weather we’re currently enjoying, with temps even reaching the low twenties. And all God’s people in the northern climes, said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now, before we get to Bruh Joseph’s story, let’s acclaim a few acclamations to boost our spirits. This first one is a beauty: ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through his riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that we need to sincerely believe deep down in our hearts, or we’ll just fall apart when the first needs show up.
Then there’s this: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? Absolutely NOBODY!’ (Rom. 8:31) That too we need to deeply believe, if we expect to make it through this greedy and evil world. And finally: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord, that’s for certain sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) That puts the lid on the pot, so that the ingredients don’t burn off in the blazing fire of evil in which we’re currently embroiled. Brother! The ole fella sure is waxing philosophical this Friday morning! (smile)
And, finally, let’s see what’s happening in the intriguing saga of Bruh Joseph. We left the story yesterday where the nine brothers return home without Simeon, whom Bruh Joseph kept in jail in Egypt. They gave the bad news to their father, who obviously wasn’t happy with the situation. Then when they opened their bags, all their money was still in them. That meant they had not paid for the food they’d brought home, and they all became scared. They told Jacob about Bruh Joseph’s desire for his younger brother Benjamin to be brought to him in Egypt or they would be considered spies, Simeon would rot in jail, and they would not get any more food. Glory be!
When Jacob heard that, he could only hold his head and bawl! He’s already lost Joseph and Simeon, now they wanted to take away his youngest Benjamin too! No way Jose! He immediately put the kibosh on that idea. ‘And he said, My son shall not go down with you…if mischief (calamity) befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.’ (Gen. 42:38) No doubt the loss of a third son would surely have sent him home to his maker.
But friends, life happens, and very often we are not able to do what we want to do. Thus it was with Jacob. For the Bible tells us: ‘And the famine was sore (severe) in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn (grain) which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.’ (Gen. 43:1-2) Yes my brethren those worms in our stomachs do make a terrible noise and cause a hurtful pain when they cry out for nourishment!
But it’s not always easy to assuage their hunger and thirst, like in this case, as the Bible continues. ‘And Judah spake unto him (Jacob), saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us (warn us), saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.’ (Gen. 43:3-4)
Oh my fellow saints, life certainly does provide some unwanted conundrums, puts us in some positions between a rock and hard place where we suffer in whatever decision we make. It’s like the quote assigned to the U.S President Roosvelt’s wife, Eleanor: ‘You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t.’ And that’s exactly the situation in which the patriarch Jacob (Israel) found himself. Send his youngest son Benjamin down to Egypt with his brothers, and fear losing him like the other two sons. Or don’t send him, and simply stay at home and starve.
What wonderful options, none of which we’d wish on our worst enemy. But life has to go on, and decisions must be made. ‘And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill (wickedly) with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, the man asked us straitly of our state (pointedly about ourselves), and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother: and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly (possibly ) know that he would say bring your brother down?’ (Gen. 43:6-7)
And who says our God isn’t a great dramatist eh? All the aspects for great drama can be found in the story of Bruh Joseph; from a dysfunctional family with a sleazy, cheating patriarch, with devious mothers, to devious, unprincipled, hating brothers, who apparently inherited some of their father’s trickery. And when you add life’s unforeseen circumstances to that already volatile mix, it just addles the pot further, and makes it boil and sputter, like a witch’s brew, until it boils right over!
Ah mih bredrin, many of us are familiar with such goings on, and there’s not much we can do to stop them from happening, we just have to band our belly and do something, then suffer the consequences of which ever decision we make, while sincerely believing that with the help of Almighty God, it will all work out well in the end. And that’s only accomplished by going boldly, but humbly to the throne of grace and seeking divine help for our many earthly problems. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we truly want to see divine help here on earth, then we need to amend our evil ways and sincerely seek God’s face. It’s the only solution to our problem! Much LOVE!
…the world’s evil…can only be counteracted by…the goodness of God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accept God's grace and mercy, an offering or forgiveness, as for me and my house, blessing and cursing, choose life, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal life, eternally separate from God, few there be that find it, God commendeth his own love toward us, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, God is not willing that any should perish, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, I have set before you life and death, I may know you all the more, increase my awareness of you today, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, offer and olive branch, on the other side of the flood, our Comforter, peace, place of refuge, quiet my soul, reconciliation, slow my thoughts, take up our cross every day and follow Him, that all should come to repentance, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the wicked turn from his way and live, turn ye from your evil way, unconditional LOVE, we will serve he Lord, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction
2 Peter 3:9b. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Thank the Lord for lazy-day Saturdays! Yes, without them we’d be totally flummoxed; confused and perplexed about this life we’re living. But these lazy-day Saturdays give us a chance to sit back and relax, to think and reason, as well as to do nothing, to just allow the senses and the body to drift wherever they may desire. (smile) And that’s why they say B.S baffles brains!
Anyway, I’ve already used up most of my lazy-day time, so let’s get back to reality. It’s nice to be lazy, and the Father does give us some leeway for it, but the facts be known, without exception, He still expects us to take up our cross every day and follow Him. So let’s get down to the Father’s business. And we’ll begin by declaring (yesss!) our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s such a beautiful and heartfelt prayer; just wishing us closer to our great God, our Comforter, our Provider and Place of Refuge! And there’s nothing that we can ever desire that’s more useful and beautiful than getting closer to God! In fact, that’s one of the main reasons He created us; for close and intimate communion with Him. But unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of us have unwisely decided to turn away from Him, and that hurts His heart and seriously disappoints Him.
And wouldn’t it hurt your heart too if after your children went astray, you gave up your best possession, your only Son, to offer them an olive branch, an offering of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation and they totally refuse your offer? Oh, you most certainly would! So let’s put that in our pipe and smoke it nuh, and consider how God feels after He sacrificed His one Son Jesus, for a bunch of ungrateful sinners, who are now blaspheming His holy name and trying to kick Him out of the universe that He created.
And the sad part of the whole situation is that our reluctance to accept God’s grace and mercy, seems to hurt Him more than it does us. He has nothing to lose by our unwise actions, and we have so much to gain, but because of His abiding great and unconditional LOVE for us, it breaks His heart when we turn down His offer of salvation and eternal life. The Bible tells us: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
And remember what we read in the scriptures yesterday? That God is ‘not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:5b) Yes my friends, the Lord doesn’t want any of His most wonderful but ungrateful creation to perish in hellfire with Satan and thus be eternally separated from Him. It’s just like when our children choose an unwise path to tread, we feel sad and distraught, because we know that that path can only lead to heartache and destruction.
And it’s even more heartbreaking when we offer our sincere help and it’s refused. Just think how that makes us feel, and multiply that terrible feeling several times, and it might just give us a li’l insight into how our heavenly Father feels about our turning away from His overtures of grace and mercy. And it’s not only with the coming of Jesus that the Lord was unhappy with our behaviour and desired eternal life for us.
No, from way back in the time of the prophet Ezekiel, He also made clear His express desire on the subject, when He said to Ezekiel: ‘Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezek. 33:11)
Oh my people, it’s the very same question the Lord is putting to us today; why should we die when we can live eternally with Him in paradise? It makes no sense whatsoever! And how often has this same question been posed to us eh? Moses posed it to the children of Israel, when he said: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
That obviously didn’t hold the Israelites for long because they continued with their rebellious behaviour and complaining, never contented attitudes. Then later on, Joshua in his last years again warned the Israelites: ‘And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (the Euphrates river), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other Gods.’ (Josh. 24:15-16)
But they did forsake the Lord, all down through the ages, for which they suffered serious consequences. Now friends, our situation is very similar to theirs; we have the option of choosing to live for Jesus or to go down the destructive path that Beelzebub has set before us. And the latter option is fraught with danger and destruction, not to mention eternal separation from God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul.
It’s like Joshua said to his people. ‘If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt (harm), and consume you, after that he hath done you good.’ (Josh. 24:20) And that’s exactly what happened to them on several occasions, and what will happen to us if we forsake the Lord and serve Satan. All throughout the Bible the Lord warns about the destruction of the wicked.
Psalm 37 tells us: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
That says a whole lot friends, re the ends of the wicked and the righteous. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself warned: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Now, in light of all we’ve said, the best and wisest option we have here on earth is obviously living for Jesus, following the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. And as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord! Much LOVE!
…to live for now…or to live for the hereafter…that is the question…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, Alpha and Omega, as for me and my house, Big Brother, curse, fog, free will, full of grace and truth, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, high priest, his commandments are not grievous, in him was life, In the beginning was the Word, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, negative word, prince of peace, self-control, the beginning and the end, the darkness comprehended it not, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the only begotten of the Father, the Word was God, the Word was with God, this is the love of God, Thursday Blessings, we beheld his glory, we will serve the Lord, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world
John 1:14. The Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Oh boy, it was a foggy, foggy night, with no moon or stars in sight. And it’s also a foggy, foggy Thursday morning with no glimpse of the sun. The fog began in the early evening and has been going on since then. Every time I looked out the window during the night, all I could see was this white mist swirling around, making the place look ghost-like. (smile) And when I got up this morning and looked out, I saw the same white, misty sight. Brother! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen fog lasting for such a long period of time. Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t cause too many problems out there on the roads this morning as commuters endeavour to get to work safely.
Oh, I know the fog can seem harmless, but believe me, it isn’t, especially when it changes its intensity without any notice, causing your sight lines to deteriorate without any notice either. Bad fog causes more accidents than snow, for with the snow, you can at least see where you’re going, while with the fog, you can’t. And like my computer was telling me the truth yesterday when it kept on forecasting fog. (smile) It’s also forecasting the same weather pattern right now too. So who knows what the weather will bring?
No one but Jesus! Glory be my people! We have a Lord and Saviour, a High Priest, a King of Kings, the Word, who knows it all; from the beginning to the end. For He was there in the beginning, as John so eloquently puts it in his gospel. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:1-5)
Yes my fellow beleivers, that’s all about our friend, and brother Jesus Christ. The world was created by the Word of God. He said: ‘Let there be light: and there was light.’ (Gen. 1:3) And everything else He spoke into existence, except mankind, whom He made with His hands from the dirt of the ground, then breathed His breath of life into man’s lifeless body, thereby making it a living being. That’s why the Lord LOVES us so much! We are the work of His hands! And Jesus was right there all the time with the Father as He created the universe. One unified Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Remember, ‘the Word was with God, and the Word was God…’ But then ‘The Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Now which Divine Being became flesh eh? Only Jesus Christ, who came to us in all His glory as the only begotten Son of God, the perfect image of His Father, filled with all grace and truth!
Wow! What a magnificent Being is our Jesus! Only God, or the Son of God could be so many things to us: Lord and Saviour, King, Advocate, High Priest, Friend, Big Brother, Comforter, Prince of Peace, Counsellor, Judge and Jury, etc. etc! And that’s why it’s ever so important that we strive to live for Him, to be obedient to Him as the Word; the Creator of all things, as well as His word, the rules and regulations He’s laid down for us to live by.
And Remember what Jesus said in His Great Invitation: ‘For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:30) That means living by His rules and regulations is not difficult. And John in his first epistle tells us the same thing. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome, hard to follow). (1 John 5:3) And John should know, because he followed Jesus around for the three years He did His earthly ministry.
However, the problem is that what Jesus directs and what the world says are often two entirely different things. But then again, John explains it so wonderfully in his first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:4-5) Oh my fellow saints, every believer, everyone that’s born again of water and the blood of Christ has power to overcome the sinful practices of this evil world.
As the scholars tell us: ‘There is conquering power through this confession (of faith in Christ) because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ It couldn’t be spelled out any simpler or clearer than that my faithful brethren. Only through Christ Jesus can we get to the Father. And Jesus Himself made that quite clear when He declared: (oh no!!!) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And it all comes down to choice, our choice, for the Lord gave us free will to choose whom we will follow, His Son Jesus Christ, or the enemy, Satan, prince of darkness and evil. You, personally have to decide whom you will follow, but as Joshua so nicely put it to the people of Israel in his closing address; ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15d) That’s also my testimony friends.
And the wonderful thing about our God is that when we decide to follow Him, He bestows blessings on us that we do not deserve but need to do His will. We call them our Thursday Blessings. But they need to be declared (yesss!!!) out loud before they can be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And if we truly mean it, then let’s go out and use those blessings to help others come to Christ. Much LOVE!
…Jesus was there at the beginning…and will be there at the end…note His words to John…I am the Alpha and Omega…the beginning and the end… (Rev. 21:6b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
19 Jun 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a solid foundation found in Christ alone, a turning point in our lives, all other ground is sinking sand, as for me and my house, assurance and refuge, bounden duty, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, continually praying for our children, cursed God in their hearts, dysfunctional homes, fathers should be good examples, Happy Father's day, having his children in subjection, I will liken him unto a wise man, it was founded upon the rock, Jesus Christ is the ROCK, LOVE, misuse of authority, My hope is built on nothing less, on Christ the solid rock I stand, one who ruleth well his house, provoke not your children to wrath, the family is falling apart, we will serve the Lord, when he shall come with trumpet sound, whosoever heareth these sayings, ye fathers
Ephesians 6:4. ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Well, Happy Father’s Day greetings to all us fathers, be we good, bad or indifferent! (smile) The Good Book does say that the father is the head of the household, the leader, the spiritual guide and should be a good example to his children as he raises them in accordance with godly principles. In the words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph. 6:4)
Yes friends, fathers have an immense responsibility in rearing children and leading a household. As the scholars say, we must not provoke our children to wrath through things like ‘injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse of authority.’
Brother! No wonder many men run away from that kind of awesome responsibility. It is indeed a lot to handle. And on top of all that we have to teach them about the Lord; rear them in proper LOVE and reverence to the Lord God Jehovah. Do as Joshua did, let it be unconditionally known; ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15d) A father should also be ‘One who ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.’ (1 Tim. 3:4) That means managing his family in the right way, making sure that the children learn obedience in a dignified manner.
Wow! The good thing about it all though my fellow fathers, is that once we embark on the right track, the Lord helps us to run our families and raise our children. He just doesn’t leave us in a vacuum; tell us to make sure we do this or that and raise them according to His Word, then disregard us and leave us to rear them on our own. As true believers we ought to know that’s not how our wonderful God operates. Whatever He asks or expects of us, He also enables, gives us the tools to accomplish the task.
Unfortunately though, in today’s world where God is no longer recognized as being a very important part of our lives, many fathers don’t have the knowledge they need to carry out their responsibilities, or just don’t care, or are not living with their children, and thus the family, the smallest and most important group, the foundation unit of our society is sadly falling apart, leading to the malfunctioning and degradation of society as a whole. Yes friends, when the smallest part of an organism or organization is being ruined, it’s not long before the whole edifice collapses.
And yes, women do a fantastic job of keeping families together, but they can’t do it all by themselves, they need a male partner to help, if the job is to be done properly. And, unfortunately, it’s the children who suffer the most from these broken or dysfunctional homes. And since the males don’t have a decent example of what fatherhood ought to be, they continue in the same dysfunctional manner when raising their families. How many of us fathers are like Job eh?
The Good Book says: ‘And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about (his children’s feasting was over), that Job sent and sanctified them (set them apart, consecrated them), and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually (regularly).’ (Job 1:5) Isn’t that beautiful my people. Job knew the value of continually praying for his children. How many of us fathers do that nowadays eh? Not enough.
And yes, like this week we’re having the sermon before we get with the praise and worship. (smile) But that’s just how the spirit moved me this morning. But let’s get to today’s song, one that we all know and LOVE. It’s titled ‘My Hope is built on nothing less,’ written by the British Baptist minister Edward Mote (1797-1874). Oh, I know it’s an old song, but that just attests to its staying power, because it deals with assurance and refuge, of strength and a solid foundation that we find only in Christ Jesus, which I believe is a good sentiment for we fathers to seek this Father’s Day.
So, let’s offer up our scintillating sacrifices of praise in a joyful mid-tempo version, letting our sincerity pour out of both our mouths and our hearts. In perfect unison and harmony, let’s sing: ‘My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. (Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.)
When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain) His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the ‘whelming flood When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain) Not earth, nor hell, my soul can move; I rest upon unchanging LOVE. I trust his righteous character, his counsel, promise, and his pow’r. [Refrain]
When he shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand… Oh thank You Lord…You solid Rock!’
Now didn’t that make you feel reenergized and reassured? It ought to…if you were sincere in your vocalizing. (smile) And it’s been said that the song was based on Jesus words from Matthew 7, as He winds down the Sermon on the Mount. It’s a story we all know about the two foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded up a (the) rock.’ (Matt. 7:24-25)
Yes mih bredrin, wisdom dictates than when we hear the teachings of Jesus that we build our lives and that of our families on Him, because He is the ROCK! A sure place of refuge for all and sundry! Where you are never turned away or left to die on your own. No one else can offer what Jesus offers, so please let’s wake up and heed His urgent call nuh, especially we fathers, for our children, our families and our society as whole are suffering because we are not doing our bounden duty to lead them in a righteous manner in Christ Jesus. Please. I implore us to let today be a serious and sincere turning point in our lives! Much LOVE!
…no other foundation but Jesus…will withstand the battering evil forces of the world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of God, a man after His own heart, as for me and my house, bounden duty, clear direction for my life, come unto me all ye that labour, curse, divine protection, he leadeth me beside still waters, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he that hath ears to hear, hold on tightly to Jesus, I shall not want, LOVE, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative word, our backs are against the wall, self-control, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the great invitation, The Lord is my shepherd, the sinful pleasures of Satan, thou anointest my head with oil, Thursday Blessings, we will follow the Lord, ye shall find rest for your souls
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (meaning I will lack nothing that I truly need).
It’s a rainy Thursday morning. But Jesus is with us, and He will certainly see us through whatever the devil and this evil world tries to throw against us. As the song says, ‘I know that God is not finished, He’s not through with me. Although I am delayed, I am not denied.’
Wow! What a wonderful promise to hold on to. Yes, because God’s grace and mercy holds us together in times of trouble, as well as in times of prosperity, so that we won’t let go. And we desperately need to keep seeking and striving to stay in God’s good grace and mercy, if we sincerely desire to be a fruitful child of His. And one word we should never use is ‘DEFEAT.’
So, when our backs are against the wall, when we’re in the valley of the shadow of death, remember to hold on tightly to the hand of Jesus, which is always reaching out to us. And He will undoubtedly lift us up, restore our souls, and lead us out of the valley to clean clear waters, to victory in His name. And that’s exactly why Bruh David could confidently write in our favourite psalm.
‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (meaning I will lack nothing that I truly need). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (that’s calm waters of rest). He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Yes friends, life is not easy for many of us, but as the song says, ‘You don’t have to cross Jordan alone.’ The Lord will cross with you, if you don’t give up on Him! And we could not find a better example of that than in the life of Bruh David, whose life was rough and ready ofttimes through no fault of His own. He did good, but others held out evil to him.
But in a mighty show of faith in the God of his forefathers, he never gave up. He stayed always close to the One who promised to be there through all kinds of weather. And that’s why he became the mightiest king of Israel, and despite his own sinful behaviour was touted as a friend of God and a man after His own heart. And that’s why we can’t ever beat God’s grace and mercy, once our heart is truly hungry and thirsty for Him and His Word!
So, though we are worried, troubled or concerned about anything at all, the right way to go about fixing it is by going to Jesus and asking for His divine help, because with Him nothing is impossible, which means He can do anything that needs to be done. And furthermore, He will NEVER turn down your request for help. In fact, He’s offered this Great Invitation to all who seek rest and peace.
Listen up to this awesome invitation, that NO ONE else can even deign to offer, because they don’t have nowhere near the mighty power that Jesus has. So He opens His arms wide to all and sundry by inviting: ‘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)
Oh my faithful brethren, what an amazing and most reassuring invitation! It’s free to anyone who needs rest and peace from their earthly burdens. Yes, whosoever will may come, is the eternal message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For as the man sings; ‘I’ve got Jesus, and that’s enough…that’s enough!’
Words of indisputable truth my fellow saints. For if you have Jesus then you don’t need anyone or anything else in this life, because He is the Creator, the Saviour, Advocate, Prince of Peace, Immortal Judge and the fountainhead of Grace, Mercy and LOVE! That covers every aspect of life, so how can you need anyone or anything else besides Jesus eh?
And for those foolish ones of us who seem to like the sinful pleasures of Satan and think that He is such a big man, just remember he was once the number One Angel, but because of greed and foolish pride rebelled against his Creator and was summarily kicked out of heaven with the other fools who rebelled with him, to walk this earth in sorrow and hard times, until time for his ultimate demise in the lake of fire. So, if you want to end up there with the evil one, suffer the worst fate possible, that of eternal separation from the Father, then follow the fallen one, Lucifer.
But as for me and my house, we will follow the Lord! That’s an indelible fact! And the sad part is that it doesn’t take a whole lot of wisdom, but simple common sense to realize that that’s the right, the best path to take in this crazy and confused world. But to each his own, and as the Good Book warns: ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:9)
Now, for those of us who are listening, (smile) let’s go home declaring (oh yeahhh!!!) our Thursday Blessings, blessings the Good Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. In loud and proud voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now my fellow saints, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those undeserved blessings in a manner that will cause others to come to Christ and LOVE and honour Him the way we do! Much LOVE!
…In Christ Jesus…we have ALL…that we can ever want or need…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acclamations, as for me and my house, cut down on our Christian witness, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, for where envying and strife is, for ye are yet carnal, God will supply all of my needs, I am the beloved of god, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will get sufficient rest every day, I will live a balanced life, I will not tolerate strife in my life, in god's eyes, let me count the ways, living according to man not God, night owl activities, no one can take that from me, no sacrifice to live for Jesus, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, our souls washed white as snow, share His love with the world, sleep thou sweet elixir, spend eternity in God's loving fold, that's for sure, the selfless sacrifices He made for us, the straight and narrow path, there is among you envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ our Lord and Saviour, through His riches in glory, to those that love God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unaccustomed sojourn in bed, walk as men, we know that all things work together for good, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, who are called according to His purpose, you never get something for nothing
Joshua 24:15d. As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!
Oh sleep, thou sweet elixir! How much do I LOVE thee eh? Let me count the ways! ( smile) Ah friends, last night the ole fella got his first all-night rest in a long while! I stayed in bed all night long from about eleven-thirty p.m. until seven a.m. Wow! That’s a record! I did awaken a couple of times and got up once to go the bathroom, but did not engage in any of my usual night owl activities. And the body does feel somewhat rejuvenated, but my ole aching back is paying for that long, unaccustomed sojourn in bed. (smile) But as they say, you never get something for nothing!
And on this damp, cloudy Tuesday morning in early February of this crazy and troubled year of 2022, I believe we should turn to, pay some much needed attention to what we call acclamations; Bible verses and other li’l sayings that we can use to refresh and renew our spirits when the enemy tries to beat us down, as he so dearly likes to do. So, let’s begin with this one that we all know and hopefully repeat every day. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24)
And what about this one that so gratefully releases our faith? ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil. 4:19) Mama oh Mama! What a powerful scripture that is my people! It enables us to go about our Christ-centred business, each and every day, without worrying about how, why, where and when our personal needs will be met. Please give our great God some thanks and praise for that most awesome and faithful promise!
Then there’s this most amazing and edifying scripture: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, friends, there’s nothing we can’t do through Christ who is our awesome strength! He created the universe and all therein, and still controls it from His heavenly throne. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present; meaning He is all-powerful, sees and knows all, and His almighty presence is all over the globe at the same time. And He LOVES us unconditionally, showing that majestic LOVE by sending His Only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our abominable sins…and that while we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5:8)
Imagine that nuh mih people, before we ever thought about God, He thought the most wonderful things about us; reconciling us to Himself, justifying us through the blood of Jesus, sanctifying us, setting us apart for His own…etc. etc. just giving us every chance possible to come back to Him, to have our sins paid for and thrown away as far as the east is from the west, our souls washed white as snow, and thus able to spend eternity in His LOVING fold! What an awesome God we serve my faithful brethren!
Now here is an acclamation I don’t think you’ll find written as such in scripture, but it is certainly alluded to all the time. It says: ‘I will not tolerate strife in my life!’ And that’s certainly something we should always be aware of, because strife can crop up at anytime and anywhere and it’s oh so detrimental to our health, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Bruh Paul had this to say about strife. ‘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 (living according to man and not God)?’ (1 Cor. 3:3)
Meanwhile, Jesus’ brother, James, puts it thus: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self-serving exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) Yes my people, wherever and whenever jealousy, selfish ambition, foolish pride and those negative things exist, strife and confusion will be there with them. And that does nothing but distract from and cut down on our Christian witness.
Now hear this marvellous acclamation that I make sure and say every day, because it’s possibly the most important. In the profound words of Joshua: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) Yeh friends, every day I ask the Lord to make that a fact, make it come true, because I can only do so much to bring it to pass, but He has the power to lead my family along the right path, the straight and narrow one. So that sort of encompasses everything.
And here’s this last acclamation for today: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? (Rom. 8:31) And the immediate and confident answer is NOBODY! Ah friends, if the Creator and Controller of the universe is on your side, who the dickens can be against you eh? Not a single soul! For the One who looks out for you is the mightiest of the mighty, and can turn any situation into a good one, as He’s so faithfully promised to do in this magnificent and overwhelming scripture: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Glory be! What a wonderful affirmation the believer in Christ Jesus has for his eventual future! And yes, I know I said that the acclamation before that one would be the last, but you have to go with where the Holy Spirit leads you. (smile) And it has finally led me to this one, to be the last. And though again, you can’t find it romanticized in the scriptures, it is embedded very deeply therein. And it declares: ‘I WILL live a balanced life, and I WILL get sufficient rest each and every day!’
Now, that’s what I am attempting to do, because I can see and feel how not living a balanced life and not getting sufficient rest is taking a negative toll on me, in all aspects of my life. And here is the truly last acclamation (smile), it’s called our Tuesday Mantra. So, let’s declare it in full and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now, with all that ‘acclamating’ (smile) let’s hope that we have a wonderful day, as we go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him as faithfully as we do. Much LOVE!
…it’s no sacrifice to live for Jesus…not after all the selfless sacrifices He made for us…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant state of readiness, a Sunday evening walk in the park, according to his riches in glory, and lo I am with you always, as for me and my house, be ye also ready, courage, creativity, curse, even unto the end of the world, feel it in every fibre of our being, for in such an hour as ye think not, gain the whole world and lose his soul, good friends, good health, He shall give you another Comforter, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, if any man will come after me, if god be for us who can be against us, let him deny himself, LOVE, my God will supply all your needs, negative word, Omicron variant, one days is with the Lord as a thousand years, prosper, Seasonal Affective disorder, self-control, succeed, take up his cross and follow me, the Only Begotten Son, the Son of man will come, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ Jesus, Thursday Blessings, to them who are called according to his purpose, to those who love God, watch therefore, we know that all things work together for good, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, what is a man profited, whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
John 14:18. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.
And it’s another one of those SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) inducing days, with a ballooning Omicron virus adding the finishing touches, as if we need any more problems in this already problem filled world! That’s why we need Jesus so badly in these turbulent times! Yes friends, the Only Begotten Son is the ONLY One who can promise us sustenance and succour in these ungodly times, and faithfully keep that promise.
And we need to use His Word, His promises to boost our self-confidence and help us retain our sanity. Words like: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! My God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus! If God be for us who can be against us eh? NOBODY! Yes mih bredrin, if the One and Only True Living God is for us, not a single soul can be against us! Consequently, we can then declare: ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!’
But we need to believe it all, to feel it in every fibre of our being! Especially this all-encompassing verse: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Oh, it does sound like a tough verse to believe, but it’s the basis of everything in our faith, knowing that despite the trials and tribulation we will endure in this evil world, that eventually the Lord will work it all out for our good!
Wow! What other deity can make that faithful promise eh? NONE! None whatsoever! Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! I know that some of us unwittingly come to Christianity as an easy go, as a Sunday evening walk in the park, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth my people. Did Jesus have an easy walk in the park when He came to earth to save us from our sins and reconcile us to the Father?
Absolutely not! They gave Him a terrible time, ranging from disbelief, to slander, to physical punishment, and finally crucifixion, and anyone, who decides to take up their cross and follow Him will inevitably find struggles and possibly persecution, just like He did. Please remember these fateful words of Jesus, for they are the foundational authority to discipleship.
‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt. 16:24-27)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s what we have to look forward to if we sincerely follow Jesus. And it’s a promise that seems will be soon fulfilled the way our world is showing many of the signs Jesus gave for His second coming. But soon with us and soon with God, are too entirely different things. Peter tells us that ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Now the early church thought that Jesus would soon return, but in our view, two thousand years have passed and He’s still not come back. However, that could simply be because to the Lord that’s only two days. (smile)
But please don’t be fooled, Christ’s return could happen at any time, that’s why He warned: ‘But of that day an hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, But my Father only… 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. 24:36, 42, 44)
Oh my brethren, regardless of what signs we see or think we see, only the Father knows when the Son is going to return, that means we must be prepared, be ready for His Second Coming at any moment. That’s what those verses above are saying: ‘Be prepared!’ Are we prepared? Now that’s the big question. How many of us have set our house in order and are ready for if Jesus comes back today?
Remember they also say He can come as a thief in the night, (1 Thess. 5:2) that’s unexpectedly, at any time, day or night, today tomorrow or even another two thousand years from now. But the important thing is for believers to be in a constant state of readiness for whenever that marvellous occasion happens, because we know, are very sure, that it will happen eventually, just not exactly when.
And the wonderful thing about Jesus is that just like He promised before He went back to heaven, He has faithfully done: ‘And I shall pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever… I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:16,18) And at that first Pentecost after His ascension, (Acts 2:1-4) He did indeed send the Holy Ghost to indwell all believers, to keep us safe, to lead and guide us in the direction He desires, that is, provided we are willing to listen and abide by the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Thus my fellow saints, the ball is now in our court! And our Jesus is ever so wonderful that He’s bestowed all kinds of blessing on those who believe that they can do His earthly work. And what a potent and plentiful set of blessings they are! We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh.
Altogether, 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!’
MamaYo! What a magnificent set of blessings my faithful brethren! It now behooves us to put them to work in our lives and share them with others just as generously as Jesus shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…and, lo…I am with you always…even unto the end of the world… (Matt. 28:20b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 