30 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a continuous drizzle, a genuine and unfeigned love, a sense of shame or remorse, a shared commitment to christ, a short downpour, a volitional caring for others, abhor that which is evil, abundance, as much as it depends on you, as much as lieth in you, as your Father in heaven is perfect, associate with the lowly, avenge not yourselves, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not wise in your own conceits, be not wise in your own estimation, be of the same mind one toward another, be ye therefore perfect, bless and curse not, bless them that curse you, bless them which persecute you, brotherly LOVE, cleave to that which is good, come to know and love christ like we do, compassion, condescend to men of low estate, creating havoc, curse, disharmony, distributing to the necessity of the saints, disunity in Christ's church, don't set your mind on high things, duty bound, even the publicans the same, faith, favour, fervent in spirit, give place unto wrath, given to hospitality, giving preference to one another, God spared our lives, God's supernatural wisdom, goes agins the grain of our culture, good friends, good health, great family, greet your brethren only, grounded in humility, harmony, have regard for good things, heap coals of fire on his head, holy spirit, Hurricane Melissa, hypocrisy, hypocritical posture, if he thirst give him drink, if it be possible, if thine enemy hunger feed him, in honour preferring one another, in the sight of all men, infighting in the church, Jesus Christ, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, kindness, lagging in diligence, let love be without dissimulation, like-minded purpose, live peaceably with all men, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, Love your enemies, mercy, mind not high things, negative word, no questioning of Christ's directives, not slothful in business, patient in tribulation, persevering in tribulation, petty differences, positive outlook on life, promotion, prosper, provide things honest to all men, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoice with them that rejoice, rejoicing in hope, salvation, self-discipline, serving the Lord, sincere love, slef-control, steadfast in prayer, succeed, talent, the originator and perfecter of our faith, truth, unity, use those blessings to help others, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, weep with them that weep, what reward have you, wisdom
Romans 12:18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you (depends on you), live peaceably with all men.
It’s raining, it’s raining, on this Thursday morning! But it’s merely drizzling, as it’s done the last couple of times. And although a continuous drizzle can be just as bad as a short downpour, when I think of rain it evokes a sense of more than a drizzle. (smile) But unfortunately all the rain might now be centred in the Caribbean in Hurricane Melissa where she’s created untold havoc in places like Jamaica and Cuba…and might not be done just yet as she flies northward in search of more prey.
And unfortunately too, in those circumstances, all we can do is pray and offer whatever physical help we can afterwards. So please, let’s keep those unfortunate people in our prayers, and help however we can, for we never know when our circumstances might turn bad, and we’ll also need help. And since God seems to have spared our lives today, let’s turn to His Word as promised and check out some more scriptures that deal with unity, harmony and likeminded purpose. Or, as that commentary yesterday so nicely put it: ‘passages that emphasize unity in purpose, LOVE, and harmony, grounded in humility and a shared commitment to Christ.’
Now reading that just makes me feel so sad about the state of Christ’s church with all the disunity and infighting. And we’ll begin today with more words on Christian unity and compassion from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Rome. He writes: ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring one another (giving preference to another). Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence); fervent (boiling over) in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer; Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not (do not set your mind on) high things, but condescend to men of low estate (associate with the lowly). Be not wise in your own conceits (estimation). Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things). If it be possible, as much as lieth in you (depends on you), live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head (a sense of shame or remorse). Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-21)
Ah mih people, Bruh Paul just laid out the basics of our Christian faith. To LOVE each other with a sincere LOVE, not a hypocritical posture, treat others with kindness and compassion, don’t resort to evil, but to replace it with good, and even when wronged, don’t resort to your own vengeance for the Lord says that is His prerogative. Also to feed your enemies, which might cause them to be ashamed and turn to Christ through your kindness. And as per the scholars: ‘The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional caring for others (done of one’s own free will), LOVING faithfully in spite of the response received. The LOVE is to be genuine and unfeigned.’
Now, if we could only have more of that in the church than the hypocrisy and strife that’s currently deep seated in it, our lives and that of the world would be so much better. I don’t think we fully realize that it’s we Christians who are expected to make the world a better place, for the evil doers will not. It’s not on their agenda, but it’s on ours. And it’s like Jesus said: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) do so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
And if Christ, the originator and perfector of our faith says that’s how it should be, then that’s what we ought to do. So, if you consider yourself His true disciple and follower, then there’s to be no questioning of His directives. But because some of the things Jesus desires us to do seem difficult and run against the grain of our culture and religious denomination, we tend to question and shy away from doing His bidding. And that’s why His church is in such a mess; awfully divided, in disharmony, with many petty differences keeping it from being united.
Ah friends, it’s a sad day when you look at our world and see the turmoil it’s in, and know that with a little effort on our part we could help to make it better. But for whatever reason(s) we refuse to make that effort. Even with the amazing, undeserved blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. But nonetheless, with great hope and faith in our hearts, let’s declare and thus activate them 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 having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they can also come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…unless there’s first sincere LOVE and unity in Christ’s church…our world will never see peace…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a positive outlook on life, a strong will, abundance, abuse, against the dwelling of the righteous, against the workers of iniquity, all kinds of imaginary evil, all that do wickedly, all that's left behind on the moon is garbage, all the proud, as in a moment, behold the day cometh, bless them that curse you, brought into desolation, but as for me, cannot stand the constant buffeting, cast them down into destruction, climate change, courage, curse, disrupting God's amazing cycles and systems, do good to them which hate you, don't fall into the evil trap of envying the wicked, don't gloat over the destruction of your enemies, faith, favour, fret not thyself because of evildoers, God's a just and righteous God, God's justice shall prevail, God's promises about the wicked, God's supernatural wisdom, he turn away his wrath from him, holy spirit, I had almost stumbled, I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I was envious of the foolish, in the arduous process, it shall leave them neither root not brakch, Jesus Christ, lay not wait O wicked man, lest the Lord see it and it displease him, let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, losing weak branches, LOVE, Love your enemies, man's cast off, mercy, my feet were almost gone, negative word, neither be thou envious, our greedy and avaricious selves, pollute God's great earth, pray for them which spitefully use you, prosper, ready to destroy and pollute wherever he goes, received a divine perspective, rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, salvation, says the Lord of hosts, self-control, self-discipline, set them in slippery places, shall be as stubble, spoil not his resting place, succeed, success, suppression, talent, that shall burn as an oven, that's man for you, the day that cometh shall burn them up, the righteous shall enjoy eternal life, the trees dancing to the wild tempo of the wind, the wicked shall fall into mischief, the wicked shall stumble into calamity, the wicked shall suffer eternal death, the workers of iniquity do flourish, the workers of iniquity shall be scattered, then understood I their end, they shall be destroyed for ever, they shall soon be cut down like grass, thine enemies shall perish, to eventually destroy the wicked and all they stand for, to sweeten the mix, truth, unrelentingly plunder, until I went into the sanctuary of God, utterly consumed with terrors, wait on God's promises and timing, when the wicked spring as the grass, who's to blame, who's to blame for climate change, windstorms, wisdom, wither as the green herb
Psalm 92:7. When the wicked spring (spring up or sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
And it’s a bright and sunshiny, beautiful Thursday morning in my neck of the woods. Thankfully the wind is not as strong and persistent as it was all day yesterday. As I keep saying, these numerous windstorms that we’re now experiencing, only begun happening about three or four years ago, and this year seems to be the worst it’s ever been; at least a couple of days every week. I feel sorry for the poor trees, constantly dancing to the wild tempo of the wind, and in the arduous process, losing weak branches that cannot stand the constant buffeting.
And who’s to blame for that? We pour all the blame on our good friend, climate change! But who’s to blame for climate change? None but our very greedy and avaricious selves, as we ceaselessly and unrelentingly plunder and pollute God’s great earth, thus disrupting the amazing cycles and systems He’s set up to coordinate the earth’s weather system. But that’s man for you; ready to destroy and pollute wherever he goes. Take a look at the moon and any other planets where man has unfortunately touched, all that’s left behind there is garbage, man’s cast off.
We so desperately want to go to all those places, but we’re not in the least concerned about destroying and polluting them, like we’ve so sadly done to Mother Earth. We’re only interested in adding to our laurels; we’ve reached this planet and that star and whatever outer space projects we’ve planned. As we’ve seen down through the ages, man is simply an abusive and destructive force, always quicker to destroy than to build, and what it’s taken centuries to build, we destroy in mere minutes, if not seconds.
So what else can we expect eh, especially when the evil one is currently running rampant throughout the earth? Nothing less than destruction, abuse, suppression and all imaginary kinds of evil! But let’s not forget the many promises in the Word of the One who created the universe and all therein, to eventually destroy the wicked and all they stand for, because he is a just and righteous God and His justice will prevail! And Bruh David proclaims it very vociferously in the opening verses of Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps; 37:1-2)
It could not be said any clearer than that my people. And remember what Asaph said in his most heart rending psalm? ‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled). For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:2-3) And, unfortunately, in these current times the wicked and boastful are flourishing as never before. But please remember what Asaph learned later on about the destiny of the wicked. ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God: then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.’ (Ps. 73:17-19)
Yes friends, it’s only when Asaph went into the house of the Lord and communed with Him, did he understand the end of the wicked. He received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity and finally found the answer to his problem. So please, let’s not fall into the evil trap of envying the wicked for their earthly prosperity. And yes, it’s hard to see them prospering, when you the supposed righteous are suffering, but we must learn to wait upon God’s promises and timing.
As the psalmist says so well in Psalm 92. ‘When the wicked spring (spring up or sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.’ (Ps. 92: 7-10) There again, we have strong evidence of the wicked being eventually destroyed. And we’re not going to forget Cousin Sol’s wisdom, as he always has something to add to sweeten the mix. (smile)
Listen to these wise words from his pen. ‘Lay not wait (do not lie in wait), O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not (assault not) his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.’ (Prov. 24:16-18) Oh friends, no wonder Cousin Sol, was called the wisest man ever! And we can see why, for in just those 4 verses, he warns the wicked, assures the righteous and also warns the righteous about being glad when the wicked falls or stumbles.
Why, because it might just displease the Lord, and make Him turn His wrath away from the wicked. Remember Jesus said we should not gloat over the destruction of our enemies, but rather to pray for them. And in His teaching on the treatments of others, He specifically notes: ‘But I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you.’ (Luke 6:27-28) That’s the gist of Jesus’ teaching, and in this current evil world it’s oh so difficult to do, but we must do it as best we can, if we want to be truly His followers.
Now here’s the last word on the destruction of the wicked from the prophet Micah. ‘For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.’ (Mic. 4:1) Yes my fellow believers, in His Word, the Lord’s promised to destroy the wicked and evil too often for it not to be true. So please let’s listen to Him and not follow Beelzebub and his evil cronies. And tomorrow, if God spares life, we’ll look at the promises of God for the righteous.
So, let’s now declare our Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s 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 activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared then with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the wicked shall suffer eternal death…but the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, accepting one's limitations, are riches honour and life, as a means of restoring faith in you, as seriously as my own, as your Father in heaven is perfect, be better witnesses for Christ, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, being modest in our self-assessment, Bible, bless them that curse you, blessed are the poor in spirit, bright, bushy tailed, by humility and the fear of the Lord, by the example your faithful believers set, christianity, consider their heart, consults you often, disastrous times, discontent, dismisses other opinions, disregard anyone, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't think too little of ourselves, don't think too much of ourselves, embrace your love and compassion, even the publicans the same, faith, Friday chant, God gives grace to the humble, God resists the proud, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, greet your brethren only, have no use for God, he makes his sun to rise, he that humbles himself shall be exalted, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, humbled, humility - one of the hardest virtues to attain, I pray for humility, I trust you to do it, if you love those who love you, in Jesus' name, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, look down on others, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, love your enemy, maintaining a sense of perspective, make or break, mercy, no matter one's background, omnipotent help, on the evil and on the good, our sinful world, persecute you, positive strides, pray for those who spitefully use you, pride, pride is the enemy of humility, problems escalating, put up barriers, rest, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, see people as, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee
Matthew 23:12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).
Here comes the weekend! And as we offer up, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we’ll either have a chance to get in some much-needed rest, or one more go round of the new year celebrations. (smile) But whatever we do for the weekend, let’s ensure that come Monday, we’re bright and bushy-tailed, ready to do a good week’s work for Jesus, because this year is either going to make or break a lot of things and people, and only as we believers make some positive strides will things get better.
Now, today I want to share the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for December. And is it ever a most appropriate prayer for these proud, haughty and arrogant times. So please pray with me: ‘God, I pray for humility – the kind that doesn’t dismiss other opinions, that truly listens, no matter a person’s background, that consults You often and with ease. Sometimes I put up barriers and look down on others. But Lord, don’t let my pride lead me to disregard anyone – including You. Help me see people as Your beloved creations and consider their heart as seriously as my own. Only You can create this humility, Lord. I trust you to do it. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s something we are all guilty of, to one extent or the other! For we all have some level of pride that causes us to look down on others and not value their opinions, ofttimes for rather petty, shortsighted and ungodly reasons. Like they don’t look, or act, or believe like us. They are richer or poorer than us…and the list goes on. But that’s so much foolishness it’s not funny, because we have all been made in the image of God, and though we might not look, think, act, or believe the same, we all still have value and worth and deserve to be heard, and treated with respect.
That’s how Jesus behaved and taught us to behave. Remember these momentous words of His. ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully, maliciously) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
Oh my people, Jesus is certainly asking a lot of us, but it’s nothing that He Himself didn’t do. And obviously we won’t be able to do it as well as He did, but if we believe and practice the main ingredient that’s necessary to accomplish that task, we will definitely come up higher. And what’s that main ingredient? Well, it’s simply what we’ve been talking about before; that’s humility! And believe me, humility is one of the hardest virtues to attain, because we all have pride, which is the very enemy of humility.
And pride is one of the seven things that Cousin Sol says the Lord considers an abomination. (Prov. 6:16-19) Why? Because when we’re filled with too much pride, we don’t tend to have any use for God. We believe we can do it all on our own, which is the furthest thing from the truth. But before we get to discussing humility, I guess we ought to get a decent definition of it. And I like this one: ‘Humility is the quality of being modest or respectful in one’s self-assessment and behavior. It involves recognizing and accepting one’s limitations, valuing others’ contributions, and maintaining a sense of perspective.’
Yes, we don’t need to abase ourselves, thinking that we’re no good to be humble, because we all have something to contribute. But neither ought we to think too much of ourselves. So, let’s look at a few of the many scriptures on the subject of humility. Beginning with this one from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘When pride cometh, then cometh shame (disgrace): but with the lowly (humble, humility) is (comes) wisdom.’ (Prov. 11:2) Then there’s this other one from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘By humility and the fear (reverence) of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.’ (Prov. 22:4) And there’s no disputing that my faithful brethren!
Then James, the brother of Jesus, gives us a couple of good ones in his epistle, namely: ‘But he (God) giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:6) Then there’s scripture we all know but don’t practice enough. ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10) And let’s remember Christ’s teaching on the subject. ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
Now that ought to make it very clear that the Lord values humility above most things. Please notice too, that His Son, Jesus Christ first came to earth in a very humble state, not because He had to, but because that was the necessary attribute for the time. However, please note that the next time He comes, then, it will be with all the pomp and splendour of a victorious warrior and King! So, with all of that under our belts, and in our hearts and minds, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these disastrous times.
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 get out into the world and be better witnesses for Christ, if we expect to receive divine aid! Much LOVE!
…blessed are the poor in spirit…the humble…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… (Matt. 5:4)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fighting spirit, a sesne of shame, abusive words, author and finisher of our faith, avenge not yourselves, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, bless them that curse you, bounden duty, despising the shame, do good to them that hate you, doing good towards our enemies, endured the cross, everything will go wrong, faith, feed him, forgiveness seems impossible, give him drink, give place unto wrath, hate thine enemy, he makes his sun to rise, heap coals of fire on his head, help me breathe and trust you, holy spirit, humility, hurry, I fear, I will repay, if thine enemy hunger, immediate attention, in god's eyes, IN Touch Devotional Prayer, it makes no sense, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our best example, long-suffering, LOVE, love thy neighbour, Love your enemies, offer grace, on the evil and the good, on the just and the unjust, perseverance, pray for them which spitefully use you, remorse, retaliation, revenge, rises up in us, salvation, salvation is all about love, sends rain, share His love with my neighbours, take a deep breath, tax collectors, the beloved of God, the joy that was set before Him, the only thing on my mind, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try to protect myself, turn it over to God, unforeseen issues, vengeance is mine, vindication, whatever si necessary to ease our pain, when I get defensive, when I've been hurt, wisdom, worry
Roman 12:19b. Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Ah friends, you wouldn’t know how good it feels to finally get to writing the Bit. I woke up late, because I went to bed in the early hours of the morning, (smile) then I had to deal with a couple of unforeseen issues around the house. Those of you who own houses know the frustrating way things can happen around it that need your immediate attention. So it’s now midday that I’m finally sitting down to the computer to see what the Lord wants us to talk about this cold, drizzly Tuesday afternoon in the season of autumn 2024, when our world is going crazy all around us.
The first thing He suggests is that we offer up this month’s prayer from the In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me. ‘Father, when I’ve been hurt, help me breathe and trust You. When I get defensive and try to protect myself, help me breathe and trust You. when retaliation is the only thing on my mind, help me to breathe and trust You. When I fear everything might go wrong again, help me breathe and trust You. When forgiveness seems impossible, help me breathe and trust You. When I offer grace (even when it makes no sense), help me breathe and trust You, In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh my fellow believers that prayer certainly makes a lot of sense, because it’s exactly how most of us behave, or feel like behaving when we’ve been hurt. All at once the fighting spirit rises up in us, and declares we must have vindication, revenge, or whatever we think is necessary to ease our pain. But ofttimes, that’s the wrong reaction, for it can blow up the situation to unnecessary proportions, and cause even worse problems. The right way to handle it, is as the prayer says; take a deep breath, and turn it over to God.
Remember Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Rome? ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:19-21)
Yes friends, from way back when, for example in Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 32:35, the Lord warned the Israelites about taking revenge, and clearly stated that that was His prerogative. And Bruh Paul is here advocating, treating our enemies or tormentors with a good heart. Piling coals of fire on their heads, as the scholars say, might ‘refer to a sense of shame or remorse engendered when we treat an evildoer kindly. Paul is discussing personal not national enemies. He is not teaching pacifism.’
And I like this commentary which answers the question ‘Why did God say Vengeance is mine? When God says that vengeance is His, it means that He will handle it. He will handle ensuring that justice is served to the individual or individuals who are persecuting you. It means that He will repay the individual or individuals for the wrongs that have been done or are being done to you.’ Simple and straightforward!
But in these days where hate, anger, revenge and all the other negative emotions predominate, few of us are willing to leave the vengeance to God, but instead want to take it into our own hands, because we feel it’s our right to do so, and it will give us the satisfaction we so rightly deserve. However, if you consider yourself a true believer in and follower of Christ, you might be getting your priorities somewhat mixed up, for Jesus taught the exact opposite of what we so often want to do.
In the Sermon on the Mount, He said it thus: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
There you have it my fellow saints, plain and straightforward, in black and white or red, according to which Bible you’re reading. (smile) And we obviously cannot be as perfect or complete as our heavenly Father but we can try to get as close as possible to perfection, by showing LOVE to our enemies, which means doing good toward them so that we can win them over to Christ. And when we do show true brotherly LOVE to our enemies, we prove that we’re truly the children of God, as LOVE is a necessary proof of salvation.
And the good thing about Bruh Paul and Jesus is that they didn’t just talk the talk, NO, they also walked the walk. As this scripture from Hebrews so vividly shows of Jesus’ behaviour. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and 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 not (become discouraged).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes friends, Jesus is the greatest example of humility, perseverance and long-suffering! Please note that in all the ‘sufferation’ He endured, He did not even once retaliate or say an abusive word to His detractors and abusers. And yes, that’s difficult to do in this aggressive, abusive and vengeful world. But we have the example of Jesus, and the tools He gave us to do it, so let’s start using them and being better witnesses for His holy cause nuh. It’s what He desires and expects of us.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong 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 my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having spouted all of that goodness and holiness, (smile) it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…salvation is all about LOVE…LOVE from God for us…and from us to God… and LOVE for ourselves and our neighbours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a barrage of rain, a bolt of lightning, a lullaby, a new flock of believers, backsliders, be children of your Father, Bible, bless them that curse you, cut off the skirt of Saul's robe, David's heart smote him, do good to them that hate you, faith, Friday chant, give lip-service, god, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, hearing the rain fall on the roof, hold sincerely to God's word, I have not sinned against thee, in the midst of our enemies, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Love your enemies, omnipotent help, pray for them which spitefully use you, sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust, setting a good example, simmering unrest, soul searing hatred, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the devil and his evil cronies, the Lord avenge me of thee, the Lord forbid, the Lord had delivered thee into mine hand, the Lord's anointed, there is neither evil not transgression in mine hand, unexpected storms, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, wake up and smell the coffe, wisdom
Matthew 5:44. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you;
Oh, it was indeed a glorious shout of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday’! when we awakened to a bright, beautiful, sunshiny and clean Friday. And my area should indeed be fresh and clean after the barrage of rain, wind, lightning and thunder it received just before midnight last evening. We finally received the rain we’d been promised all week, but which the constant high winds had been blowing away. Last night I had to get up and close my bedroom window because the rain was blowing in. And as I closed it, a sudden bolt of lightning flared up outside and I had to also close the blinds.
Oh, there’s no finer feeling than lying in bed, late at night and hearing the rain fall, especially on a galvanized roof. (smile) It often acts like a lullaby and helps you to drift off to sleep. So, now that the weekend is upon us, I hope that our plans are to rest, relax, have a li’l fun and go to church on Sunday. Please don’t overdo it, so that come Monday, you’re too tired to get up and go about Jesus’ business. (smile)
And today we’ll simply read and ponder some interesting scripture from the first Book of Samuel, where the Good Library opened a short while ago. It’s about the time when King Saul was chasing down Bruh David to kill him. The Bible says: ‘And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.’ (1 Sam. 24:1-2)
Imagine that nuh, Saul was just come back from fighting his country’s greatest enemy, the Philistines, but he was so filled with hatred and jealousy, and so determined to kill Bruh David, that once he heard of his whereabouts, he got up and went to search him out. Let’s hope friends, that none of us are filled with such soul searing hatred.
Then the Bible continues: ‘And he (Saul) came to the sheepcotes by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went into cover his feet (attend to his needs): and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt (a corner of) Saul’s robe privily.’ (1 Sam. 24:3-4)
Yuh see friends, how life can be somewhat traitorous. When we think we’re alone, we might just be in the midst of our enemies. Saul never thought that Bruh David would be in the same cave where he went to relieve himself, but in fact he was completely surrounded by his enemies. Let’s be careful and not forget that our enemy, the devil and his evil cronies are all around us, just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on us.
Samuel then writes: ‘And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt (the corner of his robe). And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David stayed (restrained) his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went his way.’ (1 Sam. 24:5-7)
Contemplate that nuh! Bruh David refusing to harm the man who for years was hunting him down like a wild animal strictly because he was anointed to be the next king of Israel. Saul had no qualms whatsoever about killing the Lord’s anointed, but it seems Bruh David had enough for both of them. (smile) Yuh see the difference friends between the ones who hold sincerely to God’s word, and those who don’t, or only give lip service to it. Bruh David knew deep down that if he harmed Saul, he would be placing his own anointing in jeopardy.
And the story continues thus: ‘David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my Lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.
Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt (corner) of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt (corner) of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression (rebellion) in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul (life) to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of (on) thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.’ (1 Sam. 24:8-12)
Oh my people, can we be so magnanimous against our proven enemies? I don’t know nuh, for it takes a man truly imbued with the Spirit of God to forgive, or even lay off one that has done him such a high level of wrong for no just cause. But that’s the way our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ expects us to behave.
As He taught in Hie Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’ (Matt. 5:43-45)
Those are not my words friends, but Jesus’, and if you intend to truly follow Him, then you will have to live by them, however distasteful they might seem to you. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, for help to do tough things like what we’ve just read. 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 to truly receive divine aid, we must begin by setting a good example, being true and faithful believers! Much LOVE!
…vengeance is mine…I will repay, saith the Lord… (Rom. 12:19)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not overcome of evil, bless them that curse you, choose a life of crime, do good to them that hate you, forgive and God will forgive you, forgive people, forgiveness is for our well being, glorify your father in heaven, holding on to anger only hurts you, into the miraculous light of Jesus, Jesus is the only reason we're still standing, lazy Saturday, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, Love your enemies, overcome evil with good, pray for them which spitefully use you, recompense to no man evil for evil, resent and reject Jesus, set free of the darkness, share your light, that they may see your good works, the evil of the world, the goodness of God, the last laugh is on us, torpedo their own livelihood to be the boss, you are the light of the world
Romans 12:17a. Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil…
‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses!’ Well, a half out of three isn’t bad. (smile) We’ve got a touch of sunshine. And the truth is, it’s not even true sunshine, but less cloud cover. But we’ll take it over some sort of precipitation and thoroughly dark clouds. And having lazed away my part of this lazy-Saturday morning, I’ll reluctantly turn my attention to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And we’ll jump right into this first and ever so important one: ‘Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their actions. Holding on to anger only hurts you, not them.’ And sadly, that’s the bane of so many of us in this weak, fearful and ungodly world. We refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, thinking that we can do them something by withholding our forgiveness.
But friends, the last laugh will always be on us. Why? Firstly, because those whom we refuse to forgive will most likely go about their business unconcerned, while we will be stewing in our hate, anger and resentment, making ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally sick. We must realize that basically, forgiveness is not for others, it’s for us, for our well-being.
And the second foolish aspect of unforgiveness is what happens with God, when we don’t forgive. How did Jesus put it in His sample prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt.6:11-12) Yes friends, that’s what we’re praying, for God to forgive us as we forgive others.
So what does that mean eh? Jesus explains: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) That says it all right there my brethren. So please let’s forget this worldly nonsense about holding grudges and not forgiving, because we are only afflicting ourselves.
Then there’s this quote: ‘Sometimes Those Trying To Bring You Down Don’t Know You’re Part Of The Reason They’re Still Standing.’ And isn’t that sometimes the awesome truth! So often our associates want to drag us down, or usurp our positions, but don’t realize that it’s because of us they are where they are, and without us they’d be nothing.
And I guess the greatest example of that is the religious leaders of Israel who refused to accept Jesus and tried to railroad Him to His death, because they figured He would spoil the good thing they had going in the bowels of the Roman Empire. They didn’t realize that He was really the good thing that they needed, and He had come to save them.
And unfortunately, it’s the same way with many of us; we resent and reject Jesus, but He’s the ONLY thing standing between us and eternal death and damnation. Please remember these ever so important words of Jesus: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And Jesus is indeed the ONLY reason why we are still standing! Please, let’s acknowledge that hard and true fact and behave accordingly.
That leads us to the following quote: ‘A wise man once said, “Be careful who you let on your ship, because some people will sink the whole ship just because they can’t be the captain.’ Now isn’t that a glorious truth! And I can attest to that through personal experience over the years. The things some people would do for a li’l power is ofttimes surprising and unbelievable. They’d even torpedo their own livelihood just to be the boss. How foolish. But that’s the chain of foolishness and ignorance that Satan has some of us tied up in.
Therefore,re we have to be very careful who we let into our lives, especially in these days of so many lies, deceit and fraud. Fraud is possibly the biggest crime going right now. And I just had one of those phone calls from one of the many current schemes that try to defraud you. And when you look at the missed calls, they are the same fraudulent schemers every day. They don’t seem to give up. Now, if they would just use that same persistence and perseverance in a legitimate job, they could do ever so much better. But for some reason or other, they choose the life of crime.
However, having said that, this next quote shows us a better way. It says: ‘If you ever get the chance to treat them the way they treated you, I hope you choose to walk away and do better.’ Yes, that’s the right way, if you are a follower of Jesus, who expressed these sentiments. ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
The long and short of the story my fellow saints is that as followers of Jesus we are supposed to rise above the norm, not just do what others do but more and better. That’s the philosophy Jesus desires to espouse in His kingdom. And Bruh Paul encapsulates it so nicely in his letter to the church at Rome, by saying: ‘Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17a, 21)
And this last quote is self-explanatory. ‘When a flashlight grows dim or quits working, do you just throw it away? Of course not. You change the batteries. When a person messes up or finds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not! You help them change their batteries. Some need AA…attention and affection; some need AAA…attention, affection, and acceptance; some need C….compassion; some need D…direction. And if they still don’t seem to shine…simply sit with them quietly and share your light.’
Oh my people, in this sad, confused, evil and ungodly world there are way too many of us who are suffering from a dim bulb or weak battery. Too many of us are flailing around in the darkness, and it needs us believers to attend to them with the LOVE of Jesus, so that they can be set free, to walk out of their darkness into the marvellous and miraculous light of Jesus!
And the only way that can happen is if we shine our light in their darkness. Like our Saviour so wisely recommended: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14, 16) Now, as true believers, let’s go out and do just that, today and every day nuh. Much LOVE!
…the goodness of God…is the only thing that will overcome…the evil of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bless them that curse you, do good to them which hate you, have not restrained their feet, hurry, I say unto you which hear, if ye do well and suffer for it, in god's eyes, know our purpose in Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, Love your enemies, loved to wander, people with poor self-control, pray for them which spitefully use you, promotes harmony and increases happiness, remember their iniquity, self-control, self-control prevents certain kinds of evil, share His love with my neighbours, take it patiently, take the good with the bad, the beloved of God, the fruit of the spirit, the power to regulate one's feelings, this is acceptable before God, tough row to hoe, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, turn the other cheek, visit their sins, walk of faith, worry
Luke 6:27. But I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you.
Well, we’ve finally relegated that disturbing day called Monday to the annals of History and are now on a more pleasant day termed Tuesday! And many of God’s children said a grateful, ‘Thank the Lord!’ (smile) Ah friends, it’s good and thankful to note that we’ve been granted life to see another blessed day on God’s earth, possibly so that we can learn some more about the oh so important fruit of the Spirit called ‘self-control.’
Now yesterday we looked at several scriptures that highlighted its importance, and today we’ll look at a few more. But before we do that, let’s read what a commentator, Merry, said in reply to some verses highlighting self-control on the website https://www.notconsumed.com/36-bible-verses-about-self-control/.
‘Self-Control, a part of inhibitory control, is the power to regulate one’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviour in the face of strong urges and temptations. As an organizational function, self-control is a necessary cognitive mechanism for regulating one’s behaviour in order to reach certain objectives in the workplace. With the advancement of technology, it has been easier to access the world around us on the internet. This accessibility has increased the number of people with poor self-control who are not only at work but also at home, on the internet, and even while driving or when shopping. The result is that there are a large number of people with poor self-control and low self-esteem who are not able to make wise choices in regards to their own self and that of others.
There are two schools of thought about self-control. Some believe that self-control prevents against certain kinds of evil such as stealing and violence, whereas others think that it promotes harmony and increases happiness. According to the latter group of experts, self-control helps increase happiness because it helps participants control their desire to be successful, and this desire results in them being willing to work towards achieving these goals. Self-control is achieved by regulating the following four aspects: impulse control, intrinsic desire, external influence, and motivation.
Although all of these are important, it is the desire to do well that ultimately makes a difference between a good person and a bad person. Executive function is related to the other factors mentioned above in that the absence of self-control can create problems in the workplace and at home. While the absence of self-control can also create problems in interpersonal relationships, the degree of the problem will depend upon the individuals involved. Whether the problem is with respect to impulse control, external influence, or motivation, executive dysfunction is an important problem that can have a major impact on health, wellness, happiness, and achievement.’
Now that should certainly help in our understanding of that very important fruit of the Spirit, and in our ongoing fight with the enemy, who’s avowed purpose is for us to have NO self-control. So, let’s check out a few of those scriptures that we spoke about. And the first one that pops up is this verse from the prophet Jeremiah, when he informed his people of Judah about an upcoming famine because of their ungodliness. ‘Thus saith the Lord unto this people, Thus have they LOVED to wander, they have not refrained (restrained) their feet, therefore the Lord doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit (punish) their sins.’ (Jer. 14:10)
And yuh know what friends? That description of Judah sounds just like our current society. We have not restrained our feet and have wandered far away from God and have thus become a very rebellious and sinful society. What else can we expect from Almighty God now but punishment for our sins eh…unless we repent, turn from our evil ways and once more acknowledge His sovereignty over our frail and feeble lives.
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of the situation. ‘14:7-10. Jeremiah had been advised not to intercede for his people (11:14), yet he cannot help pleading for them despite their wrongdoing of him (11:18-23) He prays for God’s mercy on the basis of their being called by thy name (vs. 9). However, God rejects Jeremiah’s request (vs. 10), reminding him that it is useless to pray for this obdurately sinful people (vs. 11-12)’
Oh my people, you must know that things are really bad when the Lord twice tells a prophet not to pray for his people! And no doubt He would say the same thing to any prophet who had the chutzpah to pray for us today. Then there’s this verse from 1 Peter, where, in talking about the suffering of Jesus as an example, he tells his readers: ‘For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted (beaten) for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with (commendable before) God.’ (1 Pet. 2:20)
Yes friends, that’s what Jesus did; suffered for us without a word of complaint, because He knew His purpose and controlled His emotions. Likewise, we ought to know our purpose in Christ and take the good with the bad, like He did. We all know it’s not easy, but with His help we can achieve it. And the last scripture we’ll peruse today is some more tough stuff, this time from Jesus Himself, as He talks about LOVE for enemies.
‘But I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other, and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat (tunic) also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.’ (Luke 6:27-30)
Now if that isn’t an extremely tough row to hoe, then I don’t know what is nuh! But that’s what Jesus did, and at great cost to Himself. And it’s also what He expects from His followers. But to do those very unnatural things, we need to be very self-controlled. That’s why I keep mentioning how important self-control is in every aspect of our lives. Now, let’s hope that the scriptures and explanations we’ve gone through over these past two days will help us immeasurably in our walk of faith.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong 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 now, in keeping with those sentiments, let’s go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without self-control…it is impossible to live for Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
06 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a state of mind, a tooth for a tooth, a tough row to hoe, an eye for an eye, be ye perfect, bless them that curse you, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, do good to them that hate you, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, everything is right with the world, for with God nothing shall be impossible, he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, in the presence of plenty, Love your enemies, negative word, nothing seems right with the world, pray for them which despise you, self-preservation, sendeth rain on the just and the unjust, sincere believers in Christ, so many have so little, survival of the fittest, the abundance of wealth, the Love of Christ, Thursday Blessings, with God all things are possible, with men this is impossible
Luke 1:37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And though it’s a somewhat wet and cloudy looking Thursday morning in my neck of the woods, the temperature is supposed to be pretty good, at least in the high teens, if not better. And once it’s fairly warm, everything is right with the world! Hn! I wish I could say that in all truth and seriousness, but the opposite seems to be the prevailing truth right now; NOTHING seems right in our world! It’s bad enough with the many natural disasters that are occurring all over the world at the same time. And unfortunately, in the presence of plenty in our world,, so many have so little, and are suffering so badly for want of the basic things of life. Then, the magnitude of anger, hate, resentment, greed and selfishness that’s currently flooding our world is unbelievable.
Chuh! The Lord must be sitting on His throne in the high heavens shaking His head in sadness and wonder at the low level to which His most precious and marvellous creation has fallen, despite the abundance of wealth, knowledge, understanding and LOVE that’s supposed to be prevalent on the earth. But it seems that greed, selfishness and lust for power are in the ascendance, for the level of help from those that have, to those that don’t have, is woefully poor. And besides, there are so many pockets of strife and outright war in our world that offering help is the furthest thing from many of our minds. Instead, self-preservation is our uppermost concern. Survival of the fittest seems to be the motto once again.
And that’s what we are up against my Christian brethren. And yes, it does seem like an impossible task from a natural human standpoint, but please remember that we serve the great God who created the universe and all therein, and that nothing is impossible to Him, therefore nothing is also impossible to us, if we follow His will with the high level of faith we ought to embrace. Remember what the angel Gabriel told Mary, the mother of Jesus, when he came to give her the good news that she’d been chosen to bear God’s Son, and that her cousin Elizabeth, who had hitherto been barren was pregnant with John the Baptist. It was a simple, but powerful and true statement: ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:37)
And the birth of Jesus bore witness to that fact, since He was born of a woman who had had no sexual relations with a man. Meanwhile, Jesus Himself proclaimed that same fact after telling the disciples that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matt. 19:24) And when they became so amazed at His statement, He enlightened them thus: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
Now, my fellow saints, that’s a statement we have to sincerely believe, a state of mind we must necessarily have, if we ever hope to make any positive changes in our own lives, in the lives of those around us, and the world in general. For believe me, no other group in this world is going to try to improve the sad negative situation that currently exists but we staunch and sincere believers in Christ Jesus. Why? Because that’s what our Lord and Saviour expects of us; that’s why He came to earth, why He suffered and died for our salvation, so that the earth could be a better place under His sovereignty and guidance. Therefore, it’s our bounden duty, our rightful cause to do whatever we can to make a positive difference in this negative, crumbling, disaster and greed filled world in which we live.
And I guess the best scripture to highlight that situation and purpose is what Jesus preached on LOVE for enemies in the Sermon on the Mount. He began: ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said , an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil (an evil person): but whosoever shall smite (slaps) thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at law, and take away thy coat (tunic), let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain (two). Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:38-48)
Now my people, that is indeed a tough row to hoe, but if we are to be true disciples of Christ, we must put out the effort to do it. Oh, how I wish we had the time and space for the many explanations that the scholars offer on all of that monumental scripture, because doing that stuff is certainly hard, especially when it flies in the face of all the world’s teaching. But we need to remember that Jesus’ teaching is NOT like the world’s. It is of a much higher class, a class that calls for LOVE and not hate or enmity.
And this explanation from the scholars should clear up some of the confusion. ‘5.43-44. The law of LOVE, sometimes called “the law of Christ,” summarizes the ethical principle of the Sermon on the Mount. “LOVE thy neighbour” summarizes the entire second table of the law (cf. Lev. 19:18-34) . But the unscriptural addition “hate thine enemy” was a popular concept in Jesus’ day. The admonition LOVE your enemies is one of the greatest statements Jesus ever made.
The LOVE enjoined in this passage is LOVE that originates from God Himself. Man is not commanded to attempt to LOVE his enemy on the basis of mere human affection, but rather on the basis of a LOVE that comes from God. The quality of LOVE commanded here is expressed by giving. Bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that persecute you. LOVING an enemy involves doing good toward that enemy in order to win him over to Christ.’
Yes, friends, following those precepts set by Christ are indeed difficult, but as always, He never gives us a task to perform without giving us the tools with which to perform them. And for all of that tough LOVING He expects of us there, He’s given us the tools we call our Thursday Blessings. But they need to be activated by declaring (yeah!!!) them out loud. 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 having activated those amazing tools, let’s go out and put them to good use now nuh…LOVING and helping those we come into contact with, like Jesus did, and as He so deeply desires of us! Much LOVE!
…only the LOVE of Christ…as performed by His followers…can turn this evil world around…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but sound! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allow extra time for unlikely things, be not overcome of evil, bless them that curse you, by this shall all men know that ye are my disiciples, do good to them that hate you, every cog is important, fighting tooth and nail, he that loveth not his brother, if God were your Father ye would love me, if ye have love one to another, listening to the devil more than to God, Love your enemies, outward marks of divine parentage, overcome evil with good, sinless perfection, the devil in his glee, the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy, there is no truth in the devil, to rise early be abed early, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness trumping godliness, ungodly turmoil, whoever is born of God doesn't practice sin, wisdom, ye are of your father the devil
John 8:42a. If God were your Father, ye would LOVE me:
It’s Tuesday, another glorious late summer’s day… and we’re still around. Thank the Lord! And you know what that means? We still have work to do down here in God’s great plan for our lives. So please, let’s get ourselves together and do what we need to do, be it big or small, significant or insignificant in our sight, because every little cog is important in God’s eyes and plans.
And that goes sort of double for me this morning, because I was very late to bed and thus was somewhat tardy in rising, (smile) and then some other things got in the way, as things always do when you’re late and behind schedule, so I’m only now, almost noon, getting to writing the Bit. But even in that unfortunate circumstance, there are a couple lessons to be learnt; like get to bed early if you want to get up early, and give yourself some extra time to do the unlikely things that are likely to happen every day. And all God’s people, said a loud and sincere ‘Lesson learnt!’ (smile)
Ah friends, there are so many lessons for us to learn, especially in these grievous times, these times of so many unexpected storms, both literal and figurative. But unfortunately, we don’t seem to be learning them at all, because we’re still exhibiting the ungodly, angry and divisive actions that have brought us to this desperate point. One would think that because we’re the Lord’s most magnificent creation, with minds capable of wisdom, understanding and reason, that we’d wake up and realize that continual division and dissension would only breed further disillusionment, anger, hate and warfare amongst brothers and sisters, all creations of the One True God Jehovah.
But it seems like our selfish, warlike human nature has taken over, while wisdom, understanding and reason have conveniently fled the coop. In other words, the enemy is winning this current round of warfare; ungodliness is trumping godliness. And we all know that’s just a recipe for total disaster and destruction! For all the enemy does is come to steal, to kill and destroy, to reap havoc amongst God’s people. No wonder Jesus berated the Pharisees thus, when they spoke of God being their Father.
‘If God were your Father, ye would LOVE me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts (desires) of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode (stands) not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own (from his own nature): for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.’ (John 8:42-45)
Yes friends, the devil, the author of lies and deceit is still around today and is even more powerful than ever, as the great turmoil engulfing our world readily shows. That turmoil can only be the work of the enemy, not of God. For God does not deal in such upheaval and deceit. He is not a warmonger like the enemy. That simply means we are listening to the devil more than we are listening to God.
And John corroborates this in his first epistle, when he writes: ‘He that committeth (practices) sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that LOVETH not his brother.’ (1 John 3:8-10)
Now what does all of the mean? The scholars tell us that ‘John is not speaking of sinless perfection (see 1:8,10; 2:2). He speaks here of habitual practice of known sinful acts. The true believer’s actions will conform to the character of his true father, either God or Satan. The person born of God will reflect this in his behaviour.’ And furthermore, ‘For John, a mere “profession of faith” in Christ was insufficient if not accompanied by the outward marks of divine parentage.’ And on top of that, ‘He links LOVE for other Christians closely with righteous living. (see John 13:35)
Yes, we all know that scripture, or ought to know it, and have it stenciled indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds. For they are the defining words of a true disciple of Christ, as He said it. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples; if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) But it’s oh so obvious by the ungodly turmoil in our world that LOVE for each other is not paramount amongst our concerns, but rather the things of the devil; hate, anger, deceit, lies and unnecessary destruction.
Instead of building, we seem bent on destroying what has taken us so long to build. It’s rather unfortunate that what has taken years, even centuries to build, can be totally destroyed in the blink of an eye. And that’s what the human animal seems hell bent on doing in these turbulent and ungodly times. The devil must be in his glee with all the destructive stuff that’s happening these days.
But yuh know what my faithful brethren, we need to totally realize and fully believe that good is more powerful than evil, and LOVE than hate. And don’t think the devil doesn’t know that, he knows it better than us, that’s why he’s fighting tooth and nail to have our sinful natures come to the forefront and not our godly ones.
So what’s the answer? Believers have to come together and show that we are true disciples of Christ, by LOVING each other, and working together to build Christ’s kingdom, instead of working against each other and thus tearing it down like the devil desires.
Jesus said it this way. ‘But I say unto you which hear, LOVE your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you.’ (Luke 6:27-28) And Bruh Paul put it even simpler than that: ‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:21) And that my fellow saints in Christ should be our simple motto for these trying and troubled times, because LOVE indeed makes the world go round!
So, for those of us who are truly trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong 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!’
And having made that commitment, lets’ now go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with all those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…the most powerful weapon…LOVE…but it must be used…if it is to work…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool from his friends, a wise man can learn more from his enemies, aspires to inspire us, at the end it shall speak and not lie, bless them that curse you, day of waiting, defining moments, do good to them that hate you, Easter Sunday, even unto the end of the world, face them mano -a-mano, follow the Jones' lifestyle, for a better tomorrow, give him bread, give him water to drink, Good Friday, heap coals of fire upon his head, I am with you always, if he be thirsty, if thine enemy hunger, it will not tarry, it will surely come, Love your enemies, not all change is good, not an easy row to hoe, our friend Anselm, pangs of shame, pray for them which despise you, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord shall reward thee, the triumphant rising, the vision is yet for an appointed time, things must change to get better, though it tarry wait for it, to each his own, when in doubt choose change
Habakkuk 2:3b. though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
And then it was Holy Saturday; that suspenseful day of waiting between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the day after the tragedy, but the day before the great awakening of joy and celebration! And yes, it’s always difficult for us human beings to wait for something, even though we know it will be better than what we currently have, especially in these times of immediate gratification.
But please wait patiently on the promise my people. For as the Good Book says: ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab. 2:3) Yes friends, Easter Sunday will surely come, so let’s just mourn quietly, but expectantly today, show our tremendous faith, for we are assured of the triumphant rising of the Holy One of Israel tomorrow!
Now let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a brighter tomorrow. Here’s the first one: ‘We can’t retract the decisions we’ve made. We can only affect the decisions we’re going to make from here.’ I don’t know if that is totally true nuh, because sometimes we can take back the decisions we’ve made, especially if they have not been yet implemented. But in the logical process of the situation, I guess you can look at the retracting as a new decision and not merely a taking back of the old one. So, in that sense, the quote is right. (smile)
Then there’s this: ‘I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.’ Now that seems to be rather truthful. If the current situation is bad, then things will only get better if wise change occurs. Merely leaving it the same will not cause any improvement. However, I totally disagree with this next quote: ‘When in doubt, choose change.’ That means you’ll be choosing change just for the sake of change, since there might be no good or logical reason to change.
But change, especially significant change, should not be made without some good grounds, some useful purpose or enhancement such change will provide. And just because you have doubts, doesn’t mean you should just jump into the unknown. Although that’s what a lot of us are doing in these times of great change. Oftentimes, we don’t know what we’re doing or where we’re going, but because others are changing, are doing something new or different, we think we ought to do the same, we can’t let them get ahead of us, because we absolutely need to be a part of the in-crowd. But that is pure foolishness my brethren.
Not all change is good for us, and the follow the Jones’ lifestyle only gets us into more problems than we already have. Just take the example of the new cell phones that come out almost every year. Some of us just feel we need to have them because they are new, and have new toys in them. But they are usually more expensive too, and don’t always work as good as the older ones. And in fact, most of us won’t ever use the new toys in them.
We don’t even use our current phone to its best level. But there’s a new one out, and we must have it, we must keep up with the throng and make the phone makers even richer! And in such situations, re our first quote, we definitely may not be able to retract our hasty and thoughtless decisions. (smile) But as they say, to each his own.
That brings us to the next quote: ‘When a defining moment comes along, you can do one of two things. Define the moment, or let the moment define you.’ Now that’s gospel truth friends! When defining moments crop up, you only have two options; to let the moment define you, or you define it. And the sensible option is usually the latter. You define the moment, you come up over the problem, don’t allow it to take you where it wants to go.
And I guess we should define what we mean by defining moments. (smile) Those are basically important times in your life, when what is in front of you has the ability to change the trajectory of your life, like a new job offer, or meeting a new lady friend, or the most important defining moment in all of our lives, finding Jesus and cheerfully latching on to Him! When those opportunities appear in our lives, we have to face them mano -a- mano, rise up above them, take the bull by the horns sort of thing, evaluate the situations, and hopefully make wise decisions, because it’s not always in our best interest to let nature take its course.
And that segues real nicely into our last quote. ‘A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.’ Now that’s certainly an interesting statement. I guess it goes back to a couple of other sayings: ‘Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.’ And also, ‘Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ The last one insinuates that if you are foolish, then most likely your friends are also foolish, so there’s not a whole lot you can learn from them.
Meanwhile, the first saying is telling us to keep a close eye on our enemies because we can learn their secrets and tactics, which will help us in our fight against them. But the whole thing boils down to having wise friends and no enemies. But if you do have enemies, as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.’ (Prov. 25:21-22) And the scholars tell us that ‘Coals of fire does not refer to revenge or punishment but to pangs of shame that will lead to reconciliation.’
But Jesus goes one better than that. He says: ‘LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44) Now that’s not an easy row to hoe in this strife filled world of ours, but that’s what Jesus expects of His followers, and what we should all endeavour to do, if we bear His name, consider Him our Lord and Saviour.
And remember, He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, as He told the disciples: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) So there’s no need to fear, for Jesus is always with us, leading, guiding and helping us through His indwelling Holy Spirit and allowing us to do great things in His name, through His divine strength. Much LOVE!
…one more day…just one more day…before the triumphant resurrection…please wait faithfully for it… because it WILL come…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 