21 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a generous God, a second wind, always wants something for nothing, as to the Lord and not unto men, ask, Bible, boost our spirits, but one receiveth the prize, Christ - the answer to everything, Christian performance, christianity, courage, do God's will, do it heartily, endure to the end, enjoy the fruits of life, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finished my course, for God so loved the world, grace, greedy. selfish, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath nothing, he gave his only begotten son, hearken unto you, I have fought a good fight, I know the thoughts I think toward you, it shall be given you, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, knock, LOVE, mercy, not a doting grandfather, not looking back, obedience to God's will, pray unto me, provisos to God's promises, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek, seek me and find me, should not perish but have everlasting life, sit on our lazy fannies, so run that ye may obtain, thank God, the breath of life, the soul of the diligent shall be made fat, the soul of the sluggard desireth, they which run in a race run all, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you an expected end, trust, truth, wallowing in the mire, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever ye do, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, without lifting a finger, without rhyme or reason, ye serve the Lord Christ, ye shall find, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance
1 Corinthians 9:24b. So run, that ye may obtain.
Here comes Wednesday, our mid-week work day, with the promise of a second wind and thus better things, or rather, better Christian performance from us supposed believers. And isn’t that good news? It surely is! For any improvement in our Christian lifestyle is welcome because it gives more credence to Christ’s gospel. And today we’ll look at some scripture promises that will inspire us to do better And there’s no better scripture to begin with than this one where the Lord clearly spells it out through the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now friends, that’s a scripture we all know, but do we use it to boost our spirits, our courage and trust in the Lord? Possibly not as much as we should. But the Lord is saying loud and clear that He has a good future in store for us, if we will only do His will. And yes, it all comes down to doing the Lord’s will. He’s not going to hand out blessings and such to those who refuse to obey Him…although some of us seem to think so.
And ofttimes there are provisos to God’s promises – like if you do this, I’ll do that, or I’ll do that, when you do this. And this is one such case, as the Lord expands on the promise of a future and a hope. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen ) to you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) And that’s very understandable, for we do the very same thing when others come to us asking for help, we look for some sincerity and a promise that we won’t be deceived.
So why can’t the Lord, the Creator of the earth and all therein do likewise eh? The problem is that we’re just greedy and selfish and always want something for nothing. But that doesn’t work, especially with our heavenly Father. Oh, He’ll give us oodles of things we don’t deserve, for He’s a most generous God, but He must see some obedience and a light burning in our hearts for Him. Nothing different to our human behaviour.
Then there are these words of promise from Jesus: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) There you have it again friends, a great promise, but we have to do something to claim it.
We cannot expect to have all the good things thrown in our lap without any involvement on our part. Life just doesn’t work that way, although some of us seem to think that we can just sit on our lazy, entitled fannies and enjoy the fruits of life, without even lifting a finger. And that’s why so many of us are just wallowing in the mire of this evil world, lost and alone, with no real future or hope.
And yuh know, even God’s greatest gift, that of salvation, comes with something for us to do. Listen as Jesus spells it out for us. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes my people, to get everlasting life all you have to do is believe, simply believe.
But there are many of us who refuse to believe but expect to receive everlasting life. No way! Our God is great and good and kind and LOVING and all those wonderful things, but He’s definitely not a doting grandfather who just throws goodies at us without rhyme or reason., although that’s what many of us think, or believe, or expect.
And in accordance with all that we’ve said, here’s this pearl of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov. 13:4) It’s oh so simple and straightforward my people; the lazy will die in poverty, while those who make a diligent effort will prosper! And that’s all the Lord is asking of us; to make a diligent effort in living for Him. It’s all up to us, the goodness of His grace and mercy are waiting for us to come and get them, they certainly won’t come to us without some effort on our part.
Then there’s this great promise from Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And that’s the gospel truth, but we also have a part to play; belief and obedience to God’s will! And these words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians tells us of how it should be. ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes friends, the only way we will ever obtain what’s been promised to us is if we RUN! Not dawdle or take our time, but RUN towards what’s been promised to us! Or as Bruh Paul says to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim .4:7) And how do we do that? By following this basic but very wise advice to the Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:23-24)
Oh my fellow believers sincerely living for Christ means serving and doing, not just sitting on our laurels and expecting stuff to fall into our laps. So let’s wake up and get going nuh, show the world some serious action on Christ’s behalf! And we’ll begin that action right now, by going home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Jesus, then He’s promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…running to, and for Christ…is the answer to everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a born-again child of God, a refreshing bit of air, Bible, bought by Christ's blood, christianity, Comforter, conscience, divine aid, down payment, faith, gather together all things in one, God's gift of salvation, Guide, harmony, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I will not leave you comfortless, identification mark, in whom after ye believed, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, kept forever, LOVE, mass confusion, mercy, need for Jesus, on the outside looking in, orphans, promise of salvation, repentance, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, seek your face, the born again believer, the chaotic world, the earnest of our inheritance, the fullness of times, the God who heals, the mystery of his will, the power of God, the redemption of the purchased possession, the Spirit of truth, truth, turn from our evil ways, universal unity, wisdom, wise guidance
Ephesians 1:13b. in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Oh Monday, we’re so glad to see you! You’re like a refreshing breath of air! (smile) You challenge us like no other, to get back into the chaotic world, after a couple days of rest and continue the never-ending fight against the enemy who desperately desires to steal us away from Jesus! But please let him know that that’s an impossible feat, for once we become born again children of God, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us and secures us with an impregnable seal, one that can never be broken.
Yes friends, the seal of the Holy Spirit is the identification mark that the born-again believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. And this scripture on the redemption by Christ from Ephesians tells us about it. God, ‘Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:12-14)
And what does all of that mean eh? Basically, that God, in His own time, according to His own desire, will put everything both in heaven and on earth, under ONE rule, ONE Head, that’s Jesus Christ. So, as the scholars tell us: ‘In the near future, when the time is ripe, God will put His good purpose into effect and carry it out. And His “good pleasure” or intention is the restoration of original universal unity, when all things are brought back into harmony with Himself and under the headship of Christ.’
And the Lord got the ball rolling with Jesus coming to earth to give us a better understanding of what was to come. The Jewish Christians were the first to believe in Christ and were given the seal of the Holy Spirit, then, when we Gentiles believed, we were also sealed by the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our inheritance, or the Lord’s promise of salvation. As one commentary says: ‘We just discovered the foundational purpose of the Holy Spirit. He is the seal of our salvation, and He is the down payment of our inheritance.’
Or, as the scholars further clarify: ‘The Holy Spirit is here called the “earnest of our inheritance.” The word ‘earnest’ means ‘down payment’; as such the gift of the Spirit is viewed as an installment or as part of our salvation. God therefore assures the Christian that the realization of the rest of his salvation is forthcoming. How long is the believer assured of his salvation? Until the redemption of the purchased possession, or “until God glorifies and perfects the believer (the purchased possession) whom He has bought by Christ’s blood.”
Yes my people, that seal of the Holy Spirit represents the surety that we belong to God, regardless of what we think, or feel or whatever lies the enemy might throw at us! And I like how this commentary answers the question it poses: ‘How does the Holy Spirit seal believers? The Spirit Is Our Seal. By being present in the Spirit, God not only claims us for Himself, He also gives us claim on Him. The Spirit certifies His promise, His pledge to us. Indeed, the Spirit is God’s keeping of His promise.’
We can’t ask for more than that my fellow believers, since we know that our ever-faithful God keeps all of His promises. And the Holy Spirit is the workhorse of our Triune God. He does all the work that’s needed now, after Jesus came and did His thing. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Guide, our Reminder, our Conscience, our Helpmeet, while working in the hearts of unbelievers to convict and convince them of their sin and of their need for Jesus.
Remember how Jesus characterized the Holy Spirit. ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (Helper), that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) And Jesus kept that promise by coming to believers through the Holy Spirit, which began indwelling believers on the day of Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension.
So, the Lord’s plan is motion, He’s done all He can. We know all about it, we have all the promises, the only thing left is for us to accept God’s gift of salvation, by accepting His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, so that when the final bells toll, we won’t be eternally separated from God, because that is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul. Now, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help to keep us on the straight and narrow path of life.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And if we’re wise, and truly desire divine aid, then we’d better start by changing our evil ways! Much LOVE!
…come the fullness of time…being on the outside…looking in…won’t be pleasant…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lender and not a borrower, all should come to repentance, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, be born of water and the spirit, before I formed thee in the belly of the, Bible, christianity, comfort each other in the Lord, encouragement, except a man be born again, exhortation, faith, fellowship, free from slavery to sin, from my mother's womb, glorified together, he cannot see the kingdom of God, heartfelt prayer, heirs of God, holy spirit, I am a child of God, I know who I am, I've been brn agai, Jesus Christ, joint-heirs with Christ, LOVE, mercy, my fear are drowned, No longer a Slave to Fear, no longer walk in fear but in faith, none should perish, not received the spirit of bondage to fear, not under the law, righteous living, sacrifices of praise, salvation, sanctified thee, sin shall not have dominion over you, slaves to righteous living, suffer with Christ, surround me with a song, Tasha Cobbs, the gift of God is eternal life, the head and not the tail, the sons of God, the wages of sin is death, truth, under grace, uplift our faith, walking in newness of life, we can handle whatever comes against us, wisdom, worship, you split the sea, your blood flows through my veins, your love has called my name
Romans 8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Another Sunday has dawned friends, meaning it’s time to gather once more in the Lord’s house to celebrate His day in sincere worship and heartfelt prayer, while enjoying each other’s company with exhortation and encouragement or comfort as the situation may call for. (smile) Yes, whenever we get together, we are expected to exhort, encourage and comfort each other in the Lord. And as we hear God’s word and sing His praises, His Holy Spirit works in us to renew our hope and uplift our faith, so that we can competently handle whatever comes against us in the upcoming week.
And todays song of praise ‘No Longer A Slave To Fear,’ was initially popularized by the group Bethel Music featuring Jonathan David & Melissa Helser, the lead single from their seventh live album, We Will Not Be Shaken, released in 2015. But we’ll be singing the recently popularized, scintillating, soulful, in your face version by Tasha Cobbs. So, let’s open our hearts and voices as we offer sweet sacrificial praise to our magnificent God!
Beginning with a couple of powerful declarations of the chorus: ‘(Chorus: I’m no longer a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) You unravel me, with a melody, You surround me with a song, Of deliverance, from my enemies, Till all my fears are gone. (Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am a child of God (2) From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me, Your LOVE has called my name, I’ve been born again, Into your family, Your blood flows through my veins.
(Chorus: I’m no longer, a slave to fear, For I am, a child of God (2) Oh oh, oh oh oh. Oh oh, oh oh oh! You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God …You split the sea, So I could walk right through it, My fears are drowned, In perfect LOVE, You rescued me, so I could stand and sing, I am a child of God, I am a child of God, I am a child of God….
I know who I am, I know who I am, I am a child of God! He calls me the head and not the tail, Above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower. So I no longer walk in fear, but in faith. For I am a child of God. If you are a child of God, sing Hallelujah to His glorious name!’
Marvellous mih people, marvellous! Can you imagine the uproar that song of praise caused in heaven? By the second verse, all of heaven, including Jesus, had joined in to offer soulful, anthemic praise to the Father. And yuh better believe the Father was ecstatic, elated, overjoyed by the overwhelming praise. It’s been a long time since He’s heard such sincere, soulful, scintillating sacrifices of praise!
And it’s interesting to note that the song contains all sorts of scriptural references. And we’ll begin by ascertaining what exactly is meant by no longer being slaves to fear. This commentary tells it thus: ‘God moved you from imprisonment to freedom, from an old life in which sin was your master to a new life in which sin is no longer in a position to control you (Romans 6:14). Being in Christ puts you in a new position in relation to sin. Sin is still your enemy, but it is no longer your master.’
Yes friends, we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in Chapter 6 of Romans, where he’s writing about walking in newness of life in Christ. But because of time and space, we’ll only quote this last verse from Chapter 5. ‘That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 5:21) And these two from Chapter 6. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace…For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:14, 23)
It’s advisable to read the whole chapter to get the full gist of the topic. (smile) But basically it means we can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or we can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once we were slaves of sin, but those who wholeheartedly obey Christ’s teaching are now free from slavery to sin and have become slaves to righteous living. Glory to God!
And as per children of God? Bruh Paul makes that abundantly clear in Romans 8, when he writes: ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’ (Rom. 8:14-17)
Now there’s nothing better than being a child of God my brethren, an heir with Christ to all that the Father has! Then these words of the song ‘From my mother’s womb, You have chosen me,’ ostensibly point to Jeremiah’s call from God. He writes: ‘Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set you apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer. 1:4-5)
And, ‘You split the sea, So I could walk right through, My fears are drowned,’ obviously refers to the Lord’s parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross over on dry land and escape the oncoming Egyptian army of Pharaoh. (Ex. 14) Then we sing: ‘He calls me the head and not the tail, Above and not beneath, a lender and not a borrower.’ That comes from Deut. 28-12-13), basically meaning that if we obey the Lord’s word, He will prosper us.
And lastly, these words: ‘Your LOVE has called my name, I’ve been born again, Into your family, Your blood flows through my veins,’ can be seen in Jesus’ explanation to Nicodemus, the Jewish teacher who came to Him at night to find out the truth. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,’ (John 3:3, 5)
Oh friends, we are born again, that means we’re eligible for the kingdom of heaven! Glory Hallelujah! But unfortunately there are still many who have not been born again, and it is our job to get out there and do our best to see they become eligible for heaven. Much LOVE!
…the Father’s great desire is…that none should perish…but all should come to repentance… (2 Pet. 3:9)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a genuine desire for the well being of another, Bible, christianity, closer to God, deepen my breath, drift away from God, every one that loveth is born of God, faith, fellowship, god, God sent His only begotten Son, great is thy faithfulness, greedy, hang all the law and the prophets, he that loveth not knoweth not God, herein is love, his compassions fail not, hold your head and bawl, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, howl like a hyena, I may know you all the more, if God so loved us, increase my awareness of you today, it is good that a man, It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lazy, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let us love one another, LOVE, love is God's greatest attribute, LOVE is of God, love is the greatest emotion, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative news, not that we loved God but that he loved us, on these two commandments, power hungry, quiet my soul, reciprocated love, relax my muscles, run to God, s wisdom, sacrifice, sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, slow my thoughts, strife-filled, Thank you Jesus, that we might live through Jesus, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the love of god manifested toward us, the sinsful pleasures of Satan, therefore will I hope in him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, to the soul that seeketh him, True LOVE, truth, we ought also to love one another, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, you're the Best
1 John 4:7a. Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God;
And what a perfect lazy-day Saturday this is turning out to be; wet and cloudy, though somewhat humid, an excellent chance to just laze around and do nothing but laze around. (smile) I was able to enjoy some of it by staying in bed a li’l longer, only because I went to bed at a fairly late hour of the morning, so the ole bones didn’t have a chance to get creaky and cranky.
What a life! But it’s a good life, despite the many problems that do crop up, because we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to help us deal with them. And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the BEST! We LOVE You and praise your Holy Name!’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be! Therefore, in conjunction with that statement, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in a sincere and heartfelt manner.
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!’
Yes friends, that’s a prayer the Lord cannot refuse, simply because He LOVES it when we desire close communion with Him. It’s the reciprocated LOVE that He desires of us, of which we spoke yesterday. And it’s one of the major reasons He created us; to want to know Him as deeply as possible, and have His awesome presence constantly present in an overwhelming manner in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. That’s why right now we’re feeling an increase of His godly presence moving in our receptive spirits. And thus, we ought to continue looking at scriptures that show the LOVE of Jesus, as well as LOVE for Him. (smile)
And I like this commentary that asks ‘What is true LOVE in Jesus?’ Then gives this reply: ‘True LOVE is a genuine desire for the well-being of another. It is holy, sacrificial, and other-oriented. A LOVE that we can only know through the One who is LOVE Himself. God commands His people to LOVE Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.’
So when the pretentious lawyer asked Jesus what was the great commandment, He obviously replied thus: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
Yuh see people, God’s plan is all about LOVE; LOVE for Him, for ourselves and each other! That’s all He asks of us. That’s because LOVE is the greatest emotion there is, and God’s greatest attribute is LOVE! As John so wisely and rightly declares in his first epistle. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE!’ (1 John 4:7-8) And you simply cannot get away from the indisputable truth of that statement: God is LOVE; and LOVE is of God!!!
Then John continues: ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:9-11)
Now that’s perfect logic my brethren! God showed His amazing LOVE for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. You simply cannot get any deeper or greater LOVE than that! So why is it so difficult for us to reciprocate that LOVE to God, and to also show it to our fellow humans eh?
It should not be that difficult if we take into account the great sacrifice that both the Father and Jesus made on our behalf. But being the whole set of negative adjectives we’ve become; lazy, greedy, sinful, entitled, ungodly, strife-filled, power-hungry, etc. etc. it’s no wonder we find it difficult to give LOVE to God, ourselves, and other humans. The sinful pleasures of Satan have become more important than the everlasting goodness of God.
And then we wonder why our world is in such a terrible state. The answer is very simple: there’s no real LOVE in our hearts, so how can there be any in our world? And it’s interesting, but also heart-rending, that we all watch the great amount of negative news with which we are bombarded every day, and we decry it, but do we do anything about it, even in our little sphere of the world, of our family, of our neighbourhood?
No! Because that would take too much energy and sacrifice on our part, and disrupt our comfortable, cozy, amenity-filled lives. But friends, the first thing to know about LOVE is that it calls for sacrifice! You cannot truly show LOVE until and unless you’re willing to sacrifice something for someone, which includes, God, yourself and your neighbours.
And please don’t think that you’re LOVING yourself when you buy up on credit all the bright and fancy baubles and bangles that the world offers, but which you cannot really afford. No, because when the time comes to pay for them, then you’ll hold your head and bawl, howl like a hyena, especially if they come and repossess the stuff. You LOVE yourself by taking your time, doing and buying what you can afford.
And these words on the amazing LOVE of God by the prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations, are most excellent words for us to go home to. Please read with me: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:22-26)
Please my fellow saints, let’s spend a few moments on this lazy-day Saturday pondering those words of awesome truth, so that they can bring us where we ought to be; closer to God! Much LOVE!
…it’s a fool’s wisdom…to drift away from God…rather than run to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a elief from darkness, a ladder, agels to beckon me nearer, all my song shall be, be as the dust of the earth, Bible, bright with praise, christianity, darkens be over me, faith, fellowship, god, god hath chosen the foolish things of the world, he that glorieth, holy spirit, I will not leave thee, in eternal song, in my father's home, in my Saviour's love, Jacob's ladder, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let him glory in the Lord, let the way appear, LOVE, my rest a stone, nearer my God to thee, perfectly blest, Prince with God, safe and at rest, Sarah flowers Adams, sinners can become saints, stand before God, steps unto heaven, stony griefs, the sun gone down, though it be a cross that raiseth me, thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel, thy seed, to confound the wise, truth, waking thoughts, wisdom, yet in my dreams
Genesis 32:28a. Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel (Prince with God):
It’s Sunday again friends; gathering time in the Lord’s sanctuary to give Him thanks and praise, fellowship with other believers, and receive the renewal of our faith and the overwhelming confidence He instills in us, so that we can go out and successfully do His work in the upcoming week! So without further ado, let’s turn to our song of worship for today, a hymn we know very well, and one that’s rather appropriate for these disastrous times in which we currently live. It’s titled “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”
A 19th-century Christian hymn written by Sarah Flowers Adams in 1845. This hymn was written to follow the pastor’s sermon on Genesis 28:11-22, known as the story of Jacob’s ladder, or Jacob’s dream. It’s a hymn about the joy and comfort found in being close to God. So let’s offer up sacrifices of praise in a soulful, mid-tempo version, sincerely exuding, radiating the joy and comfort that we find in being close to God.
Singing: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me; Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee, (Chorus: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!) Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, Darkness be over me, my rest a stone; Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee, (Chorus:) There let the way appear steps unto heav’n; All that Thou sendest me in mercy giv’n; Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee, (Chorus:)
Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise; So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee, (Chorus:) Or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky, Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards I fly, Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee, (Chorus:) There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, There in my Saviour’s LOVE, perfectly blest; Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee, Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!’
Wow! What a powerful song! And we did it full justice! (smile) There’s no doubting that the lives of believers are enhanced to a greater extent, the closer to God they find themselves. In fact it’s the greatest and most desirous place to be…as close as you can possibly get to God!
And the Hymnary.Org website breaks down the hymn thus: ‘The first stanza introduces the theme of the hymn, with the repeated phrase “Nearer, my God, to thee.” The second through fourth stanzas are based on the story of Jacob and the ladder to heaven, found in Genesis 28:10-22. God’s close connection to Jacob in this story is seen as a way of relief from the darkness (st. 2) and “stony griefs” (st. 4) of his human journey. The last stanza looks forward to the time when we will come to stand before God in eternal song.’
And if the song is about Jacob’s dream, then it’s only fitting that we read it here today. It begins when Jacob leaves home to go and take a wife from the family of his mother’s brother, Laban. ‘And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon (came to) a certain place, and tarried (stayed there) all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants); and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the world be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.’ (Gen. 28:10-15)
Can you imagine it people? The Lord promising to bless one of the biggest schemers and crooks of the day. Look at all the things he did, like unfairly getting Esau’s’ birthright, buying it for a bowl of lentil stew. (Gen. 25:29-34) Then in league with his mother Rebekah, deceiving his blind Father into giving Esau’s blessing as the oldest son. (Gen. 27) And it’s interesting to note Esau’s words to his father Isaac, when he begs for a blessing, and Isaac tells him that Jacob’s taken it away.
‘And he (Esau) said, Is he not rightly named Jacob (supplanter)? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?’ (Gen. 27:36) Unfortunately Isaac could not change what he had already done, making Jacob lord or master over all his brethren.
And we also see Jacob’s hijinks with his uncle Laban, although Laban outsmarted him in the first go round by having him marry his oldest and less beautiful daughter Leah, when he had agreed to give him the second one, Rachel, whom he LOVED. And you can read about the schemes between the family of Laban and Jacob in Genesis in Genesis 29 & 30. Now that’s the kind of man with little or no integrity that the Lord made the Father of His people, Israel, when He changed his name after he wrestled all night with and angel.
And when the angel saw he couldn’t prevail against Jacob, he touched him in the socket of his thigh and Jacob became lame. But Jacob, with his predatory nature refused to let go of the angel unless he blessed him. Then the angel asked his name, and he said Jacob. Then the angel replied: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel (Prince with God): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men (for you have struggled with God), and hast prevailed.’ (Gen. 32:25-28)
Yes friends, that’s just how the Lord operates; using the most unlikely people to do His work. It’s like Bruh Paul writes to the church at Corinth. ‘For ye see (consider) your calling, brethren, how not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound (put to shame) the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound (put to shame) the things which are mighty;
And base (insignificant) things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought (nothing) things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto (became for) us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:26-31)
Ah my people, if the Lord could use broken people to do great work for Him, then that means all of us have a chance to serve the Lord with honour and gladness. So please, regardless of our circumstances, let’s remember that while there is life, there is always hope, and steadfastly concentrate on drawing closer to Almighty God! For that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…in God’s kingdom…the biggest sinners…can become the biggest saints…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: apostasy, Bible, blasphemers, boasters, building up yourselves, calm, christianity, covetous, deepen my breath, denying he power thereof, engage in the works of Satan, enjoy the laziness, eternal life for those willing to believe, faith, from such turn away, god, holy spirit, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in the last days, increase my awareness of you today, inequity, inequity is driving much of the strife in our world, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jude, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, looking for the mercy of Christ, LOVE, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mockers in the last time, perilous times shall come, praying inthe Holy Spirit, presence of god, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, religion without spiritual life, reserved unto fire, scoffers will come, separate themselves, slavery, slow my thoughts, strife-filled world, thank you for this tenderness, the church age, the promise of his coming, traitors, truth, trying times, until the day of judgement, walk after their own ungodly lusts, walking after their own lusts, we desperately need God's calm and peace, who cause divisions, wisdom, without self-control
2 Peter 3:3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers (mockers), walking after (according to) their own lusts,
And it’s a somewhat cool and windy but sunshiny lazy-day Saturday in my neck of the woods. And I did try to stay abed a little longer, to enjoy the laziness of the day, but my old bones would have none of it. They argued that they’d had enough lying down, were getting stiff, and therefore needed to get up and move around. And, sadly, one cannot contend with those arguments, especially when there’s pain to back them up. (smile) So here we are, trying to find other ways to enjoy the laziness. And there’s’ no better way to do that than to look to heaven and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
So, as one sincere and heartfelt 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!’
Now, having offered up that prayer, let’s take a few moments to enjoy the overwhelming calm and wonderful presence of God that’s beginning to flow through our souls, spirits, bodies and minds, because as we say every week, sincerely seeking more of God is the kind of prayer He cannot refuse, and therefore He answers it right away. And do we ever desperately need the calm and peace of God’s presence in these trying times, when it seems that Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy are ringing true. We’re referring to his words pertaining to perilous times.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady (reckless) high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than (rather) lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Oh my people, a greater warning we will never have, because when we look around our strife-filled, chaotic world we can see that it’s definitely over populated by the types of people Bruh Paul spoke about almost two thousand years ago! It’s certainly sad and trying times we’re living in when such a large proportion of the world’s population have chosen to engage in the works of Satan, rather than those of Jehovah God. If you look at each category that Bruh Paul talks about you’ll certainly see them flourishing in our current world.
Especially the money lovers or the greedy, who are driving the world to ruin, trying to scrape up everything for themselves, when they already have more than they can ever use. That’s why one percent of the world owns ninety something percent of it, while the remaining ninety nine percent own less than ten percent. And it’s that sad inequity that’s driving a lot of the strife and dissension on the earth.
It’s surprising to note, that at this supposedly advanced stage of our civilization, that a great percentage of our people are still fighting for some sort of equality, whether it be for race, colour, or creed, for the rights of women and children, for the right to be free, both spiritually and physically, because physical slavery is still being practiced in many parts of the earth.
And what does it all mean? The scholars explain it thus: ‘The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy (a turning away from God) will characterize the final days of the church age.’ And for whatever reason(s), we’re certainly seeing people turn away from God in droves, much more than are coming to Him. Meanwhile, ‘A form of godliness simply means mere religion without power or spiritual life.’ And it’s the spiritual power in our lives that really guides us through this earthly life. So if you don’t have it, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe.
Now, it’s not only Bruh Paul that warned the early Christian church about the ungodliness of the last days of the church age, both Peter and Jude also did it. Listen to Peter’s warning. ‘This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers (mockers), walking after (according to) their own lusts,
And saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep (died), all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of (forget), that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ (2 Pet. 3:1-7)
Yes friends, it’s the same type of warning that in the last days of the church age, men will turn away from God, mocking and blaspheming His holy name, using all kinds of trumped up, untrue and ungodly arguments, as the scholars tell us, ‘to ridicule the promise of Christ’s second coming. Peter further states that arguments based on supposedly unchanging processes since creation fail to recall the severity of the flood of water upon the earth. Just as God once destroyed the world by water, so it is now reserved unto fire until the day of judgement. See the descriptions of fiery judgements in Revelation 17-19)’
Yuh see my fellow believers, the devil is working in all sorts of underhanded and deceitful ways to try to turn us away from God. No depths of deceit are too low for him to turn to. And Jude, apparently Jesus’ brother, who like several other brothers, only came to faith after He died, puts his warning thus:
‘But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of (by) the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves (cause divisions), sensual (worldly), having not the Spirit. But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the LOVE of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.’ (Jude 17-21)
Yes my fellow saints, the Word of the Lord is indeed true, as we can see from the prophecies that are now being fulfilled in these last days. Therefore let’s be wise and take godly action to protect ourselves from the evil one, while also building up our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so we shall be perfectly entrenched in His camp when He returns. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a new flock of believers, Bible, catch up on rest, christianity, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine aid, endured the cross, espising the shame, faint in the day of adversity, faith, faith to stand the disappointment, falling is not a sin, find the grace and energy to rebuild, flooded areas, for the joy that was set before him, Friday chant, give us hope, god, hurricane flora, imbibe fire water, Jesus, Jesus Christ, just my imagination, keep us strong in times of trouble, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, many are the afflictions of the righteous, men ought always to pray and not lose heart, moments of fear and uncertainty, omnipotent help, our sinful world, playing tricks on me, problems escalating, return backsliders to your fold, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, show them the error of their ways, strength in the face of adversity, stumble into calamity, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the author and finisher of our faith, the brown girl in the bottle, the example we faithful believers set, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the purpose of scripture, the wicked shall fall into mischief, thy strength is small, Tropical Storm Debby, trusting faith, truth, wake up and smell the coffee, wisdom, wise guidance, write these sciptured deep in our hearts
Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
So it’s Friday, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have gone up to high heaven, possibly though with not that much energy from some of us who had a hectic Caribana weekend and have just been barely hanging on during the work week. (smile) Now, you’ll have a chance to catch up on your rest as the weekend unfolds. And it seems like it might be a wet and cloudy weekend, as we are forecasted to get some of the overflow rain from Tropical Storm Debby, some of which we might be currently seeing as the rain’s been falling in serious fashion this Friday morning.
Let’s hope and pray that we don’t get a recurrence of what happened a few weeks ago, as some people are still trying to clean up their basements and flooded areas. Let’s also pray for those unfortunate people in the Southern U.S. who have been struck by Debby with her high winds, tornadoes and floods. It hasn’t been an easy time for many of them. And I can empathize, because I have personal experience as a young boy when Hurricane Flora blew down Tobago in 1963. Flora was forecasted to hit Tobago at about five in the evening, but believe me, by 2.30 she had already made a shambles of God’s Little Acre.
I remember being in school around mid-day and seeing the roof of a lady’s house close by, after a couple of futile attempts, finally just blow away in the wind. And when they sent us home from school, a group of us who didn’t think the hurricane would cause much damage went to a snackette, a place that sold alcohol and food, to imbibe some fire water. Suddenly though, while we were enjoying the benefits of the brown girl in the bottle, the front of the snackette began falling down under Flora’s early and vicious assault.
About a dozen people ended up sheltering in the kitchen of the snackette, while hearing the front of the building crumpling like paper, and seeing through the kitchen window, galvanize and other parts of the owner’s house been blown away. I can laugh now, but in those moments of fear and uncertainty, I saw people who hadn’t uttered a prayer in ages, praying for divine help.
And I’ll never forget finally going home, after Flora had made a mess of the island, and finding my living room flooded with a couple inches of water, with the book ‘My Early Life’ which chronicled Winston Churchill’s early days, that I had been reading the night before and left on a chair, floating sedately in the pool of water. We spent that night at a friend’s place further up the road who had not sustained much damage. One of the things that amazed me though, is with all of the rain bestowed on us by Flora, the next day, the place looked brown and dry, as though we had suffered a drought instead of a rain storm.
And believe me, you really cannot appreciate the violence of that wind and rain in a hurricane until you’ve personally experienced it. Sometimes I tell myself that I saw the wind that day, so raging and violent it was. But most likely that was just my imagination playing tricks on me. (smile) Anyhow, these storms and tornadoes that seem to have recently escalated in both intensity and frequency, probably because of climate change, must be taken seriously as they can, and are causing lots of death and destruction.
And it’s in cases like these that our faith in Almighty God needs to show up in spades, so that we can stand the disappointment and find the grace and energy to rebuild and keep moving forward. Moving forward with scriptures like this one from Hebrews. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes friends, remember the purpose of scripture is to keep us strong, to build us up, give us hope that although we’re embroiled in serious struggles, while we’re alive, all things are possible. And another tough scripture that we need to hold on to in tough times is this bit of wisdom from Cousin Sol found in Proverbs. ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’ (Prov. 24:10) Oh my people as children of the Most High God, we cannot afford to faint and grow weary when things get tough. For as the scholars say: ‘Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’
Let’s also remember Christ’s advice: ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) And since we are His disciples, His ardent and true followers, then we need to live up to His dictates. Then there’s this ever-encouraging scripture from Cousin Sol. ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).’ (Prov. 24:16) Yes my fellow believers, the righteous man always recovers. For with the strength of Christ behind him, he gets up and begins again, no matter the cost.
And there are many other scriptures that encourage us in difficult times like this one from the wisdom of Bruh David. ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (Ps. 34:19-20) Oh friends, let’s write those scriptures we quoted today deep in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, so that in the time of adversity we can resurrect them and keep moving forward with Christ! Now lets go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid.
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!’
Now let’s acknowledge the fact that our example as faithful believers is not great, and until we improve it, we will not get any divine aid. Much LOVE!
…falling is not a sin…not getting back up…is where the problem lies…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lesson in every situation, a pox on the judges!, antidote for life's problems, barren womb, better not to vow than vow and not pay, Bible, Christian, delay not to pay it, exalt the horn of his anointed, Exhibition Stadium, faith, girded with strength, Hannah's Prayer, he hath no pleasure in fools, heaven-sent gentleman, I rejoice in thy salvation, inherit the throne of glory, irresponsible judges, Jesus Christ, judge the ends of the earth, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let not arrogancy come out of thy mouth, lifeth up the beggar from the dunghill, LOVE, mediocre show, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, no rock like our God, Praise the Lord, salvation, Steelband Competition, the barren hath borne seven, the bows of the mighty men are broken, the Lord is a God of knowledge, the Lord maketh poor and he maketh rich, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord will keep the feet of his saints, there is none holy as the Lord, they that stumbled, total disrepect for patrons, truth, when thou vowest a vow to God, wisdom
1 Samuel 2:1. And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
Well friends, it’s our lazy-day Saturday, and I took full advantage of it this morning after the horrible evening I had last evening attending the Steelband Competition in Toronto. Ah Lord eh, what a nightmare. First of all, just at the entrance to the city, the traffic was horrendous because of road construction. Then, the new location for the Carnival is in the heart of the big Exhibition Stadium, where several activities were scheduled for the same time, and with several roads closed within the stadium, moving around and parking was another disaster.
Then, when you were finally directed to a parking spot on the grass, with cars packed close together, you had to walk at least a quarter mile to the entrance of the show we wanted to attend. But who says the Lord doesn’t work in mysterious ways, for halfway there, a heaven-sent gentleman offered a middle aged woman and us two old men a ride in his golf-cart. Praise the Lord!
Now that was the good part, for when you got into the show you found that the stands were situated behind the judges and the D.J, and both of them had canopies covering them, so you could not see the full stage, which was in front of them. You either had to sit right down at the very front on the first couple of rows, or go to one end of the stand or the other to see anything. I went to the left side of the judges’ placement, which means I didn’t see the right side of any of the seven bands that performed.
It was such a total disrespect to the patrons who were paying their hard earned money to see a mediocre show in the first place, because only about three or four bands really deserved to be there. Our West Indian community has put on some bad shows in our time, but I’ve never seen such total disrespect for the patrons before. And in talking to the duchess this morning, it was apparently the same way with the King and Queen Show the night before.
And the seven, middle-aged to elderly West Indian men who were the judges just sat in their comfortable seats with no sun shining down on them, oblivious to the sad plight of the paying people! A pox on you judges, who have all been involved in entertainment in the city over the years! You should have been big and responsible enough to speak up and have the covering removed, and not be simply concerned with your own comfort.
Then when the competition was over, you had the long walk back to your car, if you could find it in the crazy maze of cars parked all over the grounds. And the sad part is that instead of driving, we spoke about taking the Go-train which stops at the Exhibition grounds, but figured that the last train home would be too early, and we would have to leave before the show was over, which turned out to be untrue. It’s the earliest I’ve ever seen the show finish; shortly after eleven o’clock.
Anway, if the venue for this Competition is the same place next year, God spare life, I won’t be there! I know they won’t miss me, but neither will I miss the terrible organizing that has characterized West Indian promotions in this city for the last fifty odd years. End of my griping! (smile)
Now let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with heartfelt sincerity. 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!’
Yes Lord, thank you for the calm and peace that you’re sending into my soul, as I contemplate the events of last evening. I know there is a lesson somewhere in there for me, please help me to see it and learn it. Yes friends, in every situation we encounter, there’s a lesson embedded there for us, that’s how our Lord moves. The problem though, is for us to discern that lesson and then action it in our lives. So please pray that I will be able to discern whatever it was the Lord desires to teach me, in allowing yesterdays fiasco to happen. (smile)
And as for today’s scriptural lesson, I just opened the Good Library and it opened to Hanah’s Prayer and Song, that’s the prophet Samuel’s mother, as she gave her son Samuel to the duty of Lord, as she had vowed if the Lord heard her prayer and opened her barren womb. And it’s a perfect prayer or song for us to sing today and every day. So let’s pray or sing it, whichever you prefer. (smile)
‘And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased (to hunger): so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor our of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar form the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn (strength) of his anointed. And Elkanah (Samuel’s father) went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister (serve) unto the Lord before Eli the priest.’ (1 Sam. 2:1-11)
Yes my fellow believers that’s the kind of faith and prayer life we should have! Hannah prayed sincerely to have a son as she was undergoing torment in her barren life, and vowed that if the Lord heard her prayed she would enlist him in the Lord’s service. And that’s exactly what she did. Unlike many of us who vow to do stuff if the Lord hears our prayers, then don’t keep our promise. But as we sit today and ponder Hannah’s powerful prayer, let’s also remember these wise words of Cousin Sol from Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
And we should not keep our promises only to God, but to all mankind, which will surely increase the faith, trust and LOVE in our faithless and distrustful world! Much LOVE!
…sincerely walking with God…is the best antidote…for the problems of this earthly life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 1 August 2024, a crown of righteousness, a purpose for their continual persistence, a wise man keeps it till afterward, afterwards it yields, all them that also love his appearing, an hour or two of trial would suffice, avenues of growth, Bible, christianity, curse, despise not the chastening of the Lord, divine protection, endurance, faith, favour, god, God dealeh with you as with sons, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, if ye endure chastening, independence my goal, Intrusions, intrusions have crowded my life, Jesus, Jesus Christ, kept the faith, laid up for me, LOVE, make each day count, maturity becomes my password, my endurance needs development, my faith needs depth, negative word, no chastening for the present seems joyful, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, One Year Book of Bible promises, promotion, put out the welcome sign, rebel at God's chastening, Ruth Harms Calkin, scourgeth every son he receiveth, self-discipline, spiritual well-being, spiritually mature, steal our joy In Jesus Christ, summer frollicking, the crown of life my reward, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the peaceful fruit of righteousness, the righteous judge, this is the day which the Lord hath made, Thursday Blessings, we will rejoice and be glad in it, welcome each intrusion as a personal friend, whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, wisdom, ye are bastards not sons
Hebrews 12:5b. My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him:
And so we move on to Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, which just happens to be a somewhat rainy morning in my area. Most importantly though, it’s also the first day of August 2024! Yes friends, July is history, now nothing more than a passed breath of wind, and if the days continue to roll by so quickly, then September will soon be here with it’s chilly weather and much of the summer frolicking will be over!
Chuh! But that’s just the way of life. That’s why we must make each day count, enjoy each day our eyes awake from sleep, saying and doing as the psalmist advises: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) That’s oh so important for our spiritual well-being my people. And let’s not forget either, that ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
If we want to retain our spiritual strength, we must ensure that the joy of the Lord is flowing through our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, because one of the enemy’s main goals is to steal our joy in the Lord, as he knows that’s where our strength comes from, and we are useless without it. So, let’s make sure that we keep those two things front and centre; enjoying each day that the breath of God keeps flowing through our bodies, and remaining strong in His joy, which gives us the strength to perform our godly duties.
And today we’re going to look at an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This poem is ever so appropriate for these busy and perturbing times. It’s simply titled: ‘Intrusions.’ And who knows if I’ve shared it before, but it’s well worthwhile sharing again. (smile) So please read with me: ‘A thousand intrusions Have crowded in on my life today. My reaction, Lord? I’ve resented every one. And now I read in Your Word That I’m to put out the welcome sign!
In fact, I must welcome each intrusion As a personal friend. (Perhaps even serve tea, Lord?) You assure me that You have a purpose For their continual persistence: My faith needs depth My endurance needs development. I have no argument with that, Lord But I had hoped that an hour, or two Of trial and testing would suffice. Or a day at most, dear God. But again You remind me That the process must continue Until maturity becomes my password and independence becomes my goal and the Crown of Life becomes my reward.’
Ah mih people, what wise words, but words that many of us don’t to want to hear, because it reminds us that growing in spiritual maturity is a continuous process. It doesn’t just happen in a day, or even two, but throughout a whole lifetime. And furthermore, we only gain maturity by going through tough times, times we wish would never come against us. But as the poem says, the Lord has a purpose for each and every trial or test that He puts us through. We might not see the reason for it, but with His greater mindset, He does.
And if we’re truthful with ourselves, most of us would admit that we do need more depth to our faith, and more endurance or perseverance in our development. And unfortunately, the only way to get those important things is by going through the fire with the Lord at our side. And though we would rather not call the intrusions and testings friends and serve tea, (smile) it’s important that we realize and recognize them as avenues of growth, if we want to truly become spiritually mature.
And interestingly enough, the Bible Verse of Promise for that poem comes from Hebrews, a verse which most of us thoroughly and totally dislike because it has to do with punishment and discipline. It says: ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:11)
Yes friends, none of us like to be disciplined, even when we are wrong, because it hurts both our ego and our flesh. But later on we see the wonderful benefits. So discipline in this evil and ungodly world is very necessary, otherwise we would all go astray, with possibly terrible consequences like eternal separation from Almighty God. That’s why the Lord keeps us in line. And as the author of Hebrews so rightly says earlier on in the scripture:
‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons.’ (Heb. 12:5-8)
Oh my fellow believers, it’s simple: If the Lord LOVES you, He will chasten or discipline you. And if you endure that discipline with a good attitude, He will keep on blessing you. However, if your rebel at His chastening, then you will not enjoy the blessings put aside for you. It’s like Bruh Paul said to Timothy in his last days. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them that also LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
Now that’s the kind of exit we should all be seeking to have. But it doesn’t come without tough times, trials and testings. And we all know Bruh Paul’s life was not an easy one, but he never wavered in his faith during all his trials. In fact they made him stronger and more determined to fight the good fight of faith on Christ’s behalf. So let’s consider our own positions today nuh, as we go home declaring (chuh!!!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the service of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…discipline is not for God’s benefit…but for ours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a reverential awe of God, a word to the wise is sufficient, and follow me, another glorious day on earth, are not able to kill the soul, Bible, blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, Caribana Week Festivities, christianity, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fear God and obey his commandments, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, fear of God, fear of man, glad to be alive, god, going to hell in a handbasket, halfway home, hands on the plough, his righteousness endureth for ever, his seed shall be mighty on the earth, if any man will come after me, Jesus, Jesus anoints us to do His work, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, LOVE, love of the comfortable life, loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God, not turning back, regain our second wind, sacrifice for Jesus, silence our witness for Christ, stand in awe of God's supreme authority, strife, strife is still rampant in the wolrd, take up his cross daily, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of all matters is this, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, to a glorious future with Jesus, wealth and riches shall be in his house, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with a good attitude, worth it's weight in gold
Matthew 10:28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
So our work week is moving along quite nicely; we’ve endured the pangs of frustration and tiredness on Monday, then the less hectic and frustrating passage of Tuesday, until now, we’ve come to the soothing calm of Wednesday, the last day of July, where we hope to regain our second wind. But that’s difficult to do with all the summer activities on hand, especially the Caribana Week Festivities that are already in full swing, just building to culminate in the big parade on Saturday and all the other glorious weekend entertainment!
And though we’re hanging in there, nothing much has changed; we’re still doing the same ole, same ole stuff, not making any progress in our personal lives or in that of the world. Strife is still rampant on the world stage, and we are not doing much to change it, because we’re still resisting the necessary call to our duty; that’s witnessing sincerely for Christ! Now, since the Lord blessed us with the privilege to see another glorious day on His earth, as promised, we’ll continue looking at the two things that seem to stop us from doing the Lord’s work as we ought to.
Yesterday, we said they were fear, fear of what man can do to us, but not what God, who is so much more powerful can do. And we proffered the serious warning of Christ on the subject: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And the second thing which keeps us from doing Christ’s work is our LOVE of the comfortable life. Oh friends, there’s nothing we LOVE as much as the comfortable life, especially in these times of plenty and numerous amenities that just make life so much easier to handle.
But before we get into that aspect, I want to share a few more words on the fearing of God and not man. And you ask what does it mean to fear God? Well this commentary gives us some insight into the matter. ‘To fear God is to stand in awe of His supreme authority, the most excellent authority that is or ever will be. If you will do that, things will be well with you. That is what God wanted for the Israelites, but they would not fear Him like they should.’ And sadly, neither are we fearing Him like we should.
And this other commentary further expounds on the subject. ‘Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “The end of all matters is this: to fear God and to obey His commandments.” So, the first step to entering into the kingdom of God is to fear God. All true saving faith has in it the fear of God.’ Now that fear is not a fear that causes us to tremble with fright, to shake in our boots, although we should also have that fear of God in the background, a God who can destroy us seven ways from Sunday, as Jesus mentions in the scripture above, but it’s more a reverential awe of His sovereignty, of His majesty.
As the scholars tell us it means ‘submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear. like the fear of electricity, or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.’ Unfortunately though, not enough of us have that supposedly healthy fear of God which causes us to act in an appropriate manner. Instead, we seem to have the unhealthy fear of man which causes us to act in an inappropriate manner.
And friends, that fear of man rather than God is a deadly force in the believer’s life. For instance it can silence our witness for Christ, as John writes in his gospel. ‘Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him (Jesus); but because of the Pharisees they did not confess (publicly acknowledge) him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. For they LOVED the praise of men more than the praise of God.’ (John 12:42-43) And sadly nothing much has changed down through the years, every day, by our lack of witness, we still show our fear of man and our LOVE of his praise, rather than that of God.
But please listen to these wise words from Psalm 112 – The man who fears the Lord. ‘Praise ye the Lord (Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 112:1-3) That’s just the beginning of the good things that happen to those who fear the Lord, and I strongly suggest that you read the rest of the psalm before the day is out, so you can get the full message it proclaims. (smile)
Finally, let’s turn to the other thing that keeps us from doing a good job for Christ, that’s our LOVE for comfort and the comfortable life. And nowadays, can life ever get comfortable! For we have almost every amenity known to man right at our fingertips, and we just hate for any of them to be even unavailable for a few minutes. We hate to be uncomfortable even for a minute, but let’s remember that being a disciple of Jesus can be one fraught with discomfort. For Jesus defined discipleship thus: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23)
Now that doesn’t mean living entirely in comfort, but when necessary to give up one’s comforts, to sacrifice something for Jesus, like He sacrificed so much for us. And if it means doing it every day, then we do it with a good attitude EVERY DAY! That’s what sincere discipleship is all about; doing whatever is necessary to promote Christ’s kingdom, regardless of the difficulty. And let’s remember that Jesus NEVER asks us to do anything that He won’t do, and always gives us the wherewithal to do it.
So if He gives us a difficult task, it’s surely means that He will anoint us to do it, and will also be in the fray with us, as He’s faithfully promised: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) So please, let’s wise up nuh my fellow believers and get serious about being ambassadors for Christ. For if we desire to see better days in this world, then it’s up to us to instigate the necessary changes, for the enemy will not do it, since they like things as they are – going to hell in a handbasket! A word to the wise is sufficient!
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…being a disicple of Christ is not easy…but it’s surely worth it’s weight in gold…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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