08 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: age of celebrity worship, be the boss and the janitor, bedeviled mankind, Bible, catch our second wind, christianity, deal not foolishly, disgraceful circumstances, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, gald to be alive, god, God is the judge, halfway home, hands on the plough, he exalteth another, he knoweth what is in the darkness, he putteth down one, if any man desire to be first, influencers, insolent pride, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lift not up the horn, LOVE, not looking back, pride goeth before destruction, speak not with a stiff neck, the first must also be last, the light dwelleth with him, the Lord killeth and maketh alive, the Lord maketh poor and he maketh rich, the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, the righteous judge, the same shall be last, the throne of heaven, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, two out of three ain't bad, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom and might are God's
Mark 9:35. If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last.
And it’s another beautiful sunny, summer-like day, though a rather windy one. But you can’t always have it exactly like you want it, so we’ll take the blue skies and the warmth of God’s great light on this early Wednesday in May, as we try to catch our second wind and finish this work week in good shape. As they say, two out of three ain’t bad. (smile) And today, the Good Library opened at an interesting scripture, to a problem that’s bedeviled mankind since the beginning of time. The disciples of Jesus experienced it, and we also do to a great extent in these greedy, selfish and self-seeking days.
Mark writes of it in his gospel thus: ‘And he (Jesus) came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it ye disputed (discussed) among yourselves by the way (along the road)? But they held their peace (kept silent): for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who would be the greatest. And he (Jesus) sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last.’ (Mark 9:33-35) Yes friends, Jesus knew exactly what they had been arguing about along the way. And it’s the very same problem that raises it’s ugly head in almost every organization or group today. Everybody wants to be Number One, El Numero Uno.
But everybody cannot be first, only one can be first, meaning that figuratively speaking, the others will have to be last. But according to God’s kingdom rules, the first one must also be the last. In other words, to be first, you must be willing to be last. Or to be the boss, you must also be willing to be a servant to the rest of your group or organization. It’s the example of Jesus, who being Number One in heaven, gave up His privileges and came to earth to be a servant to man. Unfortunately though, mankind has a problem with that situation because of our overwhelming pride, figuring that if we are leaders, we are too good or big to do certain lowly tasks.
And as Cousin Sol so rightly says in Proverbs: ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Prov. 16:18) That simply means that those of us who are too proud and arrogant usually fall. When we are too proud and confident in our abilities, circumstances usually happen to bring us back down to earth, to reality, however in a shameful and destructive manner. And sadly, we see that happening quite regularly; for almost every day, some proud celebrity or wealthy person is brought to earth by their foolish pride and entitled behaviour.
But do we learn from it? No way! Many of us are still clamouring unashamedly for material wealth and celebrity status, because this is the age of celebrity worship. And also very sadly, when you look at the supposed celebrities, the people whom we worship, who are influencing our lives, or as they call them the influencers… Steups! They don’t have a clue about real life, because most of them haven’t even experienced three decades of life yet, haven’t seen any real ups and downs, and consequently shouldn’t be even influencing themselves, much less this blind, mindless, gone astray society, for they will only take it further down into the mire of evil and foolishness.
Enough of my rant though. But let’s remember that one of the six, or seven things that the Lord considers an abomination is ‘a proud look,’ meaning pride. (Prov. 6:16-17) And pride in itself is not a bad thing, because we all need it to encourage ourselves and so do good work. However, when that pride gets away from us and becomes arrogance, conceit, egotism and overwhelming selfishness, then we need to worry and take a good look at ourselves. And you can see that in the numerous dictators, and would-be dictators currently holding or seeking power in our world.
However, their overwhelming pride and ego has stopped them learning about other power hungry men, who have eventually fallen amid shameful and disgraceful circumstances. No. They consider themselves much too big, bright and powerful to have anything like that happen to them. They forget, or simply don’t know who sits on the ultimate throne; the throne of heaven. That’s Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe, who controls all that happens to them. First, He allows them to get power, and then He destroys them when the time is right.
And these words from Asaph the psalmist, re The Righteous Judge , explains it quite clearly. Asaph writes: ‘I said unto the fools (boastful), Deal not foolishly (boastfully): and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn (don’t raise your head proudly like a horned animal): Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck (insolent pride). For promotion (exaltation) cometh neither form the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteh down one, and setteth (exalts) another.’ (Ps. 75:4-7)
Oh my friends, we ought to know this since it’s been shown to be true so often in the Good Library. We see it in Saul’s overthrow by the Lord and the raising up of Bruh David to the throne of Israel. Also in the demise and return of Nebuchadnezzar, one of the Persian kings during Daniel’s time. Listen to a couple of scriptures which confirm the Lord’s power. The prophet Samuel’s mother says in her prayer of gratitude for a child: ‘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 out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from 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 on them.’ (1 Sam 2:6-8)
Yes my fellow saints, Samuel’s mother knew the Lord’s awesome power, as she had seen it work in her life. Likewise Daniel, after receiving the answer to the king’s vision, blessed the Lord of heaven with these words. ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-21)
Ah mih people, let’s understand and accept all that we’ve read today nuh, for if we do, it will keep us from being too swell-headed and rebellious, which will only bring God’s wrath upon us. End of Sermon! Now let’s declare (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 now, we’ve also been promised that if we endure with Christ to the end, then that future will even be brighter and more glorious than we ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there at the very end! Much LOVE!
…it’s foolish for a created being…to ignore the awesome power of its Creator…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
01 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, captivated by the lure of money, catch our second wind, christianity, compare ourselves, comparing themselves among themselves, comparison, drive us to sinful competition, drown men in destruction, endure to the end, erred from the faith, faith, fall into temptation, god, godliness with contentment is great gain, gold-studded ladder of success, hands on the plough, holy spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep up with the Joneses, LOVE, mentally challenged and evil world, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, never be defeated the lack of money by, One Year Book of Bible promises, our love for money exceeded our love for God, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first, seek first the kingdom of God, show the actions of true belief, Thank God for Jesus, the auspices of Christ, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the goading competition, the love of money is the root of all evil, the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses, the working of the Holy Spirit, them that commend themselves by themselves, they that desire to be rich, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, we dare not make ourselves of the number, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
1 Timothy 6:10a. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil:
So it’s a fairly warm and sunshiny Wednesday in my neighbourhood, though with a bit of cloud cover as the merry month of May opens in this crazy year of 2024. Yes friends, the year is only one third done, and it’s already showing some very unstable and mentally challenged tendencies. But let’s hope as we catch our second wind for this work week that we will be able to hold our own, and even gain some ground in this mentally challenged and spiritually evil world, through the ever present auspices of Jesus Christ in our lives, that’s His guidance and endorsement through the working of the Holy Spirit. For without it, we will all surely go mad, seeing and experiencing the craziness that’s currently going on in our world.
And all God’s people said, a loud and grateful: ‘Thank God for Jesus yes! Otherwise we’d all be lost in the sea of craziness and evil that’s overtaken the earth.’ Now, today, we’re going to read a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that hopefully will help us to curb one tendency in the mental madness of the world. The poem is simply but very explicitly titled ‘Seek First.’ And as always, I don’t know if I have shared this poem before, but if so, then it’s definitely worth sharing again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘O Lord How futile, how foolish To attempt to keep up with the Joneses On the gold-studded ladder of success. Even if we make it (Setting high, competitive goals) We awake one dismal morning To discover the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses So it starts again – the goading competition. God, our objective is far more rewarding. You want us to “keep up” with Your plan For our individual lives. “Seek first the Kingdom of God” Is Your shining word to us. Forgive us for moments and days (Even months) when our LOVE of money Has exceeded our LOVE for You. Please, God Be our financial Advisor and deliver us from a thousand “if onlys.” May we never be defeated By the lack of money Or captivated by the lure of it.’
Wow mih bredrin, what awesomely accurate words for something that bedevils so many of us in this greedy and sinful world. And all of us, at some stage in life, have felt the agonizing heartache that the lack of money brings, and most likely have promised ourselves never to let that happen to us again. However, whether through our fault or unfortunate circumstances, we’ve been through it again and again, and that’s no sin, unless we waste whatever we have on stuff that we don’t truly need. Then as the times get tougher and harder, money becomes even more difficult to make and keep.
But what’s an even bigger problem is the LOVE of money that so many of us have, and with that the very foolish idea of running some competition with other foolish folks about who can have the most money or the most material possessions. But most of us should, and would know better if we would only read and put the words of the Bible into action. For instance, listen to this passage from Bruh Paul’s first letter to Timothy re the Root of All Evil, and from which the Bible Promise for our poem is taken.
‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will (desire to) to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction (in ruin) and perdition. For the LOVE of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows, (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith and ended up in a sorrowful state).’ (1 Tim. 6:6-10)
Oh friends, it could not be any more explicit than that. And we all know people, even possibly ourselves, who have fallen into such sorrow because of greed and competitive folly. But let’s hope that at this mature stage of our lives we have gotten past the devilish LOVE of money, that can cause all kinds of evils and problems in our lives. And please note, it’s not the money itself that causes the real problem, but our great desire and LOVE for it, that causes us to do anything to get it!
Then there’s this next scripture that deals with comparing ourselves to each other, contained in Bruh Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, which explicitly says: ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.’ (2 Cor. 10:12) There it is in black and white in the Lord’s word, my fellow believers! But yet we still persist in the foolish games of comparing ourselves, or as the poem puts it, ‘keeping up with the Joneses.’
And why is comparing ourselves to others, especially on money and material possessions, not good? Listen to these two commentaries that answer the question. The first one, in talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves to other believers says: ‘Comparison can drive us to sinful competition with other believers. We might find sinful motivations in our heart for serving at church or studying our Bible. If we can do more and do it better than them, we’d get the praise and recognition we “deserve.”
Then the second one says this about the sin of comparison: ‘When you compare yourself to others, you either feel better or worse about yourself. There is no in-between. This sense of pride or insecurity can open the door to a lot of negativity. It makes you vulnerable to sin, and can breed insecurities, pride, envy and jealously; everything that God is against.’ And that’s the indisputable truth friends, as we can see from all the different cliques and groups in the church fighting for superiority, but only causing strife and further division of an already greatly divided church.
And sadly, it’s the greed and strife, the anger and hatred, the evil doing and ungodly actions that the world is currently revolving around, rather than the LOVE, joy, peace, harmony ,unity and togetherness that ought to be uppermost. And we have no one else to blame but ourselves, for not doing what the Lord taught us: to seek first the kingdom of God and all the things we need would be given to us, and also the be the salty and bright shining Christians who go around spreading the good news of His gospel. And until we begin to seriously do those things, our world will continue to be thoroughly corrupt and evil! End of sermon.
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to be good disciples, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of or wonderful position in Jesus Christ! As one 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 we’ve been promised that if we stay connected to Christ to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please, let’s be wise and plan to meet there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…to be a true believer…your life must show the actions of true belief…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child is born, a fool's wisdom, actively seek peace, as much as lieth in you, become more mature Christians, Bible, catch our second wind, depart from evil and do good, endure to the end, faith, follow peace with all men, god, halfway home, hands on the plough, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let not your heart be troubled, let peace begin with me, live peaceably with all men, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no man shall see the Lord, not as the world giveth, not looking back, nothing happens without action, peace, Peace i leave with you, pray for justice, prayed for peace, prayer, prayer can change us, Reflections for Peace, seek peace and pursue it, strife-filled world, talk a good talk, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Prince of Peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto us a son is given, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with God's help, work prayerfully for justice, work prayerfully for peace, Yael Splansky
Psalm 34:14. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
So friends, Wednesday, our mid-week, catch our second wind day has rolled around, though somewhat cloudy and chilly. But that won’t stop us from doing whatever we have to or need to do in Jesus’ name. Consequently, I went to my Wednesday morning church group, where we usually read some scripture, say some prayers and have communion, nothing very elaborate, but short and sweet. (smile) And believe me, sometimes I think I get more out of the little group, about seven or eight people, than in the big Sunday service, because the small group is much more personal and not as solemn and impersonal as the larger Sunday gathering.
Today though, we did something a li’l different, we prayed for peace in our world. There were a couple of prayers, but mostly silence as we sat and communed with ourselves and God about the strife-filled world we currently live in and how we can ever get it to be much more peaceful. While doing that, we were supposed to jot down, or journal any thoughts we had on the subject on the mostly blank pamphlet, we had in our hands. To tell the truth, all the pamphlet had on it were these words. A prayer titled ‘Reflections for Peace’ by one Yael Splansky.
It says: ‘If we pray for Peace. Let us work prayerfully for Peace. If we pray for Justice. Let us work Justly for Justice. Prayer may not change the World, but Prayer can definitely change us, and we with God’s help can change the World, or at least our corner of it.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people. Most of us cannot make any real worldwide changes, but through prayer, faith and God’s help, we can change ourselves and the small bit of the world directly around us. And yuh know that’s all that’s really expected of us; to change ourselves into better, more mature Christians, and help those we come into contact with to do the same.
However, many of us don’t even want to do that relatively small task, but yet we expect peace and justice to flourish in our homes, our neighbourhoods and our world. That though is a fool’s wisdom, for nothing, no change happens, be it good, bad or indifferent without somebody or somebodies raising their voices and taking action. And I’m chuckling here because when Father Jeff handed out the empty pamphlets and said we should write down our thoughts, I laughed, figuring that I wouldn’t be writing down anything. But lo and behold, I found myself writing a whole lot of stuff that came to mind. And I want to share some of the stuff I jotted down on the subject of peace.
The first thought was, whatever we pray for, it must begin with us. As Yael Splansky says, whatever we pray for, we must prayerfully work for it. And some wise person once said, if we pray for, or want peace, then peace must begin with us. And it’s oh so true. However, we all talk a good talk about peace, but how many of us, beginning with ourselves, are seriously working for it eh? Obviously not enough, otherwise our world surely would not be as strife-filled, evil and ungodly as it is.
Then the next jotting was that the Bible also tell us in several scriptures, in no uncertain terms, that peace is essential for Chrisitan living. Bruh David says it thus in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, peace is something we must actively seek and pursue. We have to work at it, for it doesn’t come naturally. Bruh Paul meanwhile wrote thus to the Romans: ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men.’ (Rom. 12:17-18)
Later in Romans, Bruh Paul also wrote: ‘Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19) And there’s yet this scripture from the pen of the Hebrews author which categorically tells us: ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.’ (Heb. 12:14) So there are oodles of scripture which categorically state that believers ought to pursue peace as much as they possibly can.
Then my next note was, ‘You can’t have peace without Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace.’ Now that’s another glorious truth, for how can you have peace in your life when you don’t know or have the Prince of Peace involved in your very life eh? It’s impossible! As Isaiah so wisely prophesied of Jesus: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) There you have it friends, if you don’t know the Prince of Peace, then you can’t have true peace.
And in between the silence we recited these purposeful words of Jesus on the subject. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Now my brethren, please note that the peace Jesus grants is not the same peace that the world speaks of. Jesus’ peace is way different and certainly more peaceful. It allows us to go through hard and disturbing circumstances in the world without being too afraid or troubled by them. We are concerned, but not worried or afraid.
And I put it to us, that the peace of Jesus is the first kind of peace we need in this ungodly world. That’s where all peace ought to begin, for without it, no other kind of true or real peace is possible. Unfortunately though, our world is filled with darkness and strife, and so many who don’t know the Prince of Peace, nor the Light, LOVE and Joy He brings to those who accept Him as Lord and Saviour. That brings me to my last jotting; that we who are not physically involved in the strife, don’t care to get involved and thus disrupt our comfortable lives.
And that’s another gospel truth, even among Christians. So how do we expect to get peace eh? We won’t, unless a majority of us work persistently and sincerely together to achieve it. That’s the long and short of the story. Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous 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 right down to the end with Christ, then it’s promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine it. so please, let’s be wise and make plans to see that future together! Much LOVE!
…to gain true peace…one must pursue, persist and persevere in attaining it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man, bringeth forth its fruit in his season, catch our second wind, choose life, christianity, confident trust, endure to the end, eternal death and damnation, eternal live, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fulfill my will, god, halfway home, hands on the plough, his delight is in the law of the Lord, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep God first place in our lives, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, LOVE, meditate day and night, not looking back, obedience will bring blessings, obey God's Word, places future in God's hands, psalms, regardless of the cost, remain steadfast in God, sit on the fence, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, the breath of life, the congregation of the righteous, the man God honours, the ungodly shall persih, to a glorious future with Jesus, totally committed to God, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Ah mih people, unfortunately, this middle day of our work week, Wednesday, has opened somewhat dark and damp. But please don’t allow the gloomy weather to stop us from catching our second wind, as we must, if we want to get through the rest of the week in good shape. Sadly too, the Bit will be somewhat late today, because I soon have to leave and go to church for our Wednesday morning small gathering, but then I also have a church meeting after that, so it will be awhile before I get back to finish my early work. But don’t worry, it’s all in the Lord’s service! (smile) And as always, He will reward us with some excellent words of wisdom when we continue. Soon come!
Well we’re finally back two and a half hours later… but with a good word, as it relates to ‘The Man (& Woman) God Honours.’ That’s a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Now, it specifically talks about men, but I’ve also included women, because all the things men do these days women do it too, and we wouldn’t want to be labelled sexist. (smile) And to make it more concise and more easily read, I’ve also taken the liberty of changing the pronouns ‘He and His,’ to ‘They and Theirs.’ Furthermore, I don’t know if I’ve shared this one before, because it doesn’t sound familiar, but if I have, it’s certainly interesting enough to share again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘There are thousands of men and women in the world. Men and women come in assorted sizes – tall and short, wide and lean. There are bankers, salesmen, politicians, mechanics, lawyers, teachers. But the man or woman that God honours is marked by at least five characteristics: FIRST: They are totally committed to God, and their concern is that they will obey God’s Word, whatever the cost. SECOND: They are persons whose faith can be defined as confident trust. Their high priority is prayer, knowing that a supernatural God works in supernatural ways.
THIRD: They rest their past, present, and future in the hands of an ALL-LOVING God, even in times of turbulence, uncertainty, agony, misunderstanding, and pain, assured that their times are in God’s hands. FOURTH: They believe with all their heart that, as they keep steadily traveling along God’s pathway, God will honour them with every blessing. FIFTH: They have one consistent desire: “God, make me a person after your own heart.”
Yes friends, those are the five basic characteristics a believer ought to have. And we surely can’t find fault with any of them, since that’s the way the Lord has outlined His plan for mankind. Being totally committed and obedient, regardless of the cost; with strong faith and belief in the efficacy of prayer; placing their whole lives in God’s hands, surrendering their all to Him, in spite of the circumstances; assured that if they follow God’s plan, He will eventually honour them with blessings untold; and above all, to be called a man or a woman after God’s own heart.
Now that is one of the most important honours God can bestow on us. And we don’t have to be perfect to get it, but our hearts have to be right with God, like Bruh David’s was, although he was by no means perfect, but very fallible like all of us. As it says in Acts 13:22: ‘And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he also gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill my will.’ And the original scripture can be found in 1 Sam. 13:14.
‘A man after mine own heart’ relates to two things; first that Bruh David was God’s choice for king, and not the people’s, and secondly that at first Bruh David’s character morally was exceptional, and though He faltered with his murder of Uriah and adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, he never moved away from God, like so many others. His faith and trust always remains steadfast in the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And I believe that’s what the Lord wants to see from His people, more than anything; despite our shortcomings, we never move away from Him, always keep Him first place in our hearts and lives, always trying to do His holy will.
And some of us must be wandering what’s the Bible verse for today’s writing? Well here it is finally. It comes from our well known Psalm 1. And reads thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:1-6)
Ah friends, that first Psalm says it all in a very neat and concise form. If you follow the Lord’s dictates, learn His law and obey it, you will live a blessed life. If you don’t, then your life will be miserable and eventually you will perish. It’s simple math’s, not rocket science; obey and live eternal life, disobey and die eternal death. And it’s up to each of us to decide which option we’ll choose…and we have to choose one or the other, for trying to sit on the fence is counted as disobedience. (smile)
And for those of us who are endeavouring to live right, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus! As one 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 there’s a further promise to look forward to: if we endure with Jesus right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s make plans to meet at the very end and together enjoy that more than glorious future nuh! That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…we’ve been offered life or death…let’s be wise and choose life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and all these things shall be added unto you, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, casting all your care upon him, catch our second wind, childish intensity, distractions bombarding us, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, free to be myself, give balance to my boggled mind, hands on the plough, he careth for you, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I'm frightened, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, infuse me with your poise and power, Jesus Christ, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, my total self is submerged in you, not easy times to navigate, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, pull me off the merry-go-round, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life, the peace of God, the tension etching my somber face, to a glorious future with Jesus, too many irons in the fire, Wednesday Wail, What's Myself Doing to Myself, which passeth all understanding, your plan for my personal fulfillment
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And then it was Wednesday, the mid-week workday when we are supposed to catch our second wind and move on down to the end Friday with improved enthusiasm and excellence. (smile) Unfortunately, I don’t know if it actually works that way, because from my own experience, I’ve found that you get more tired as the week winds down. But it’s always nice to have something to fall back on to liven up our days, give us a reason to go on. (smile)
Now, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I had to go out the street early this morning and do some time sensitive errands, and by the time I got back from running around in the cold, cloudy, windy morning with the occasional snow flurries floating down from on high, hunger, thirst and tiredness and taken over my ole body, so I had to satisfy those needs before I could do a worthwhile Bit. (smile)
And today we’re going to get into this most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘What’s Myself doing to Myself?’ And that’s surely a good question for many of us to be asking ourselves in these trying and difficult times.
So please read with me: ‘With childish intensity she asked “What’s myself doing to myself?” I couldn’t help but smile As she stood before the mirror Struggling so impatiently With a stubborn jacket zipper. But I’m not smiling now, Lord As I pass my own mirror and glance at the tension Etching my sombre face. I’m frightened, Lord. Her innocent question clutches me. “What’s myself doing to myself?” Frustrated, frantic So often breathless Too many irons in the fire…
What am I doing to my body – To my mind, my emotions? What am I doing to my family? What am I doing to Your Plan For my personal fulfillment? Why do I live like this, Lord As though Your world Couldn’t exist without me? Why do I so often Tear myself from Your control? Dear Lord, calm me. Pull me off the merry-go-round Of converging conflicts. Give balance to my boggled mind. This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free To be myself.’
Wow! What very appropriate but encouraging words! Yes friends, many of us are doing harm to ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually, trying to live up to the all the conflicting convergences that are engulfing our lives. And when we do stop and think about it, we realize that we can’t fix them all, if any. And furthermore, the only way to find peace in our daily struggles is by turning back to Almighty God and surrendering our all to Him. Placing all the conflicts in His hands, while receiving His grace and mercy to go about our many tough tasks in peace and contentment.
Now, that’s not always easy to do either, especially when the many distractions of this ungodly world are constantly bombarding us from all directions, and the bills, the rent-man and whoever else is breathing down our necks for what we owe them. No my bredrin, these are not easy times to navigate, especially on our own, but we’re so blessed to have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, our Comforter, our Go-to -Guy, whom we can count on to help us in our troubles. However, if we desire His awesome help, we have to be confident and faithful enough to give ourselves and our troubles over to Him.
As the poem so rightly expresses: ‘This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free to be myself.’ Yes my fellow believers, if we sincerely ask the Lord for His poise and power, He will give it to us, fill us with His Holy Spirit that will allow us to be free to be ourselves once again, and not totally distracted and confuffled by the many headed dragons that the world is constantly sending against us. It’s the only way to win the battle against Satan and his evil doers.
And yes, the theory is very sound, but how does one go about it practically? Well the Bible Promise for today’s poem gives us some idea of how to do it. They are words of encouragement written long ago by Bruh Paul to the Philippians, but words which are still filled with strength and encouragement for today. He wrote: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And that sounds oh so easy, but like everything else, it takes practice. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes. And when the world is coming at you, it’s not so easy not to worry, but please remember that He that is in You, the Lord Jesus Christ, is greater than he that’s in the world, Satan. (1 John 4:4) And that’s the awesome truth! But you have to believe it and then put it into action by humbling yourself and casting all your care on Christ. Peter says it quiet nicely: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Now there’s the magical or miracle words my brethren: the Lord cares for us! And since He cares, He will not allow us to suffer more than we need to, if we bring all of our troubles to Him in a humble and sincere manner. And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, John, Peter, or me, mayhap you’ll believe Jesus when He tells you:
‘Wherefore, if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought (don’t worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; ad all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:30-33)
Now, let’s hope that you believed Jesus! (smile) But for those of us who do, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘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 we’ve also been promised that if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to mee there nuh! Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus Christ…can the answers to our problems be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a father of the fatherless, a judge of widows, a little lower than the angels, catch our second wind, crowned with glory and honour, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith if it hath not works is dead, fight the good fight, hands on the plough, how dwelleth the love of God in him, I will not leave you comfortless, inasmuch as ye have done it, Jesus set the example of doing good works, let every man be swift to hear, not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, not looking back, pure religion, selfless sacrificial works, separating the sheep from the goats, shew me thy faith without thy works, shew thee my faith by my works, shutteth up his bowels of compassion, slow to speak, slow to wrath, thank God, the awesome breath of God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, to a glorious future with Jesus, to visit the fatherless and widows, undefiled before God, unspotted from the world, unto one of these my brethren, Wednesday Wail, whoso hath this world's goods, you have done it unto me
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Now Tuesday was nice and hot and summery until the evening hours when it turned cool, and windy with a thunderstorm. And would you believe that during the night outside was cooler than the air-conditioned inside. And this morning when I went out to do some blood tests, it was chilly as ever. The computer earlier on told me that rain was coming, then shortly thereafter told me it will be mostly sunny.
So who knows what we’re going to get today, this middle of the work week Wednesday, when we try to catch our second win, that enables us to fight the good fight all the way down to Friday? The important thing though is that we have life, the awesome breath of God flowing through us, mightily LOVED by our heavenly Father, created a little lower than the angels but crowned with glory and honour. (Ps. 8:5)
The unfortunate thing though friends is that so many of us don’t behave like we have that glory and honour of God, which takes us back to yesterday’s Bit, ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:’ (James 1:19) This current version of mankind is certainly the opposite of those wise words. We’re rather quick to speak, and speak a lot, quick to get angry and hardly ever listen.
Now yesterday we stopped where James was saying that anyone who was not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, his deeds will be blessed. (James 1:25) And he continues in this vein. ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he is) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (useless). Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:26-27)
And that’s what Christianity is all about my people! Remember Jesus’ great compassion for widows and orphans, the sick, the poor and the lonesome. He came to save the downtrodden. And throughout the Bible there are numerous verses that indicate that God LOVES the widows and orphans. Psalm 68 describes Him as: ‘A father of the fatherless, and judge (defender) of widows, is God in his holy habitation.’ (Ps. 68:5) Meanwhile Isaiah 1:17 instructs on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Learn to do well (good); seek judgement (justice), relieve (reprove) the oppressed (oppressor), judge (vindicate or defend) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ And Jesus even promised: ‘I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:8)
So helping those in need is what we should be focused on, physical help as well as spiritual and emotional concern. That leads us to these powerful verses in 1 John. ‘Hereby perceive we the LOVE of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good (goods or riches), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion (heart) from him, how dwelleth the LOVE of God in him? (1 John 3:16-17) It obviously doesn’t!
That’s why James continues later on in his epistle about the relationship between faith and works. ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:14-17)
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! We can have all the faith we want, but if we don’t have some sacrificial work in that faith, it’s basically useless, because faith is not just believing, but also doing! As James continues: ‘Yea, a man my say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2:18)
Faith and works just have to go hand in hand my brethren if any of them are to be worthwhile. That’s why sometimes when we try to evangelize the poor and downtrodden, instead of filling them with scripture, we first need to fill them with food, clothing and shelter, that way they will be more amenable to receiving the good news of Christ’s gospel.
Remember when Jesus talked about separating the sheep from the goats? (Matt. 25:31-34) What reasons did He give for that separation eh? ‘For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord….when did we do all these things unto you…. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-37, 40)
Yes friends, that’s what Jesus is looking for in His followers; kindness to our brethren, especially if they are poor, sick, a stranger, widowed or orphaned. Our basic faith might get us into heaven, but it’s our selfless, sacrificial works that are going to earn us heavenly rewards. And it all begins by speaking less and listening more, so that we can understand the truth of the kingdom of God.
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now! ‘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 as we keep reminding, if we endure with Christ right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please let’s us e that as one more bit of encouragement to endure to the very end! Much LOVE!
…Jesus set the example of doing good works…so that His followers could follow it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man is not justified by the works of the law, catch our second wind, depart from evil and do good, endure to the end, halfway home, hands on the plough, he delighteth in his way, he is always merciful and lendeth, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, I have been young, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not turning back, Judaizers, keep his way, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, the breath of life, the first and great commandment, the law of God is in his heart, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the moral law of God, the mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, the perfect law of liberty, the physical law of God, the righteous shall inherit the land, the royal law, the seed of the wicked shall be cut off, the social law of God, the spiritual law of God, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, wait on the Lord, we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 37:23. The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Well, it’s Wednesday, the middle day of the work week. So how are we going my dear brethren in Christ at this point in time? Let’s hope that with Christ surrounding us that we are doing pretty good, catching our second wind and moving forward with faith, despite all the confusion and evil workings that currently have our world in grip.
And regardless of what’s happening in our lives right now, I believe it is of the utmost importance for us to believe these marvellous words promised by Bruh David on God’s behalf from Psalm 37. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24) Now, if we don’t believe that promise what hope is there for us then eh? None whatsoever!
And Bruh David drives home that amazing hope in Christ Jesus when he continues: ‘I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:25-26) Oh my people, how wonderful is that statement eh? Most wonderful! Why? Because when we walk faithfully with God, it ensures the goodness of God to our families after we are gone. And who doesn’t want that assurance?
But before it can happen, we must faithfully do certain things. Bruh David puts it simply, but it’s ever powerful in truth. ‘Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgment (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall he cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.’ (Ps. 37:27-29) It couldn’t be put any simpler or more truthfully my people! The Lord, as it were, bends over backwards for the righteous, while He crushes the wicked without mercy.
And why would the Lord do that eh? Because ‘The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement (mercy). The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide (slip).’ (Ps. 37:30-31) Wow! What encouraging and reassuring scriptures! But then we talk about the ‘law of God,’ what exactly is that? Ah friends, the scholars give us a lengthy but very useful discourse on the subject. (smile)
They say, ‘The law of God is the extension of God’s nature and expression of God’s will in His creation. God’s law is expressed in different forms, relating to different areas of His creation. The physical law of God includes the laws of nature which govern the continuous physical existence of this world (Gen. 8:22; Col. 1:17). The moral law, also called “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:15), governs the immaterial issues of life (2 Tim. 3:17).
The social law of God affects interpersonal relationships and can be summarized by “the royal law” (James 2:8). The spiritual law deals with a man’s relationship with God. It is summarized in “the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38). And we all know what that is: ‘LOVE the Lord with all thy heart, mind and soul…etc. etc.’
Illustration: The purpose of the law is to reveal the sovereignty of God (Ex. 20:2), to place a restraint on the sinner (Ps. 68:7-8), to show the greatness and reality of sin (Rom. 3:19-20), and to lead the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24). The purpose of the law did not change with the gospel. When the Judaizers in Galatia sought to teach their erroneous view of the law, they failed to realize that the law has never been able to save anyone. Application: As Christians, we should be concerned to live decently and orderly. (First ref. Gen. 2:17; Primary ref. Rom. 7:7-14; cf. Ex. 3:13).’
Glory be my people! There’s enough scripture and other info there to keep us occupied for the rest of the day! (smile) And I expect us to look up those scriptures, so that we can get a better understanding of God’s law. Why? Because how can we live a godly life, one in tune with God’s law if we don’t know and understand that law eh?
Now, I believe there’s one thing, we need to further explain; that’s about ‘the Judaizers.” They were ‘a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that their co-religionists should follow the Mosaic Law and that Gentile converts to Christianity must first be circumcised.’ They considered that the Old Testament laws were still binding on all Christians.
But Bruh Paul made it quite clear otherwise in his letter to the Galatians. He begins by saying in 2:15: ‘We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,’ That was a derogatory term against Gentiles, who were considered synonymous with sinners, since they didn’t live under the Jewish law, which kept the Jews somewhat restrained in their own sinful behaviour.
Then Bruh Paul continues: ‘Knowing that a man is not justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of (in ) Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.’ (Gal. 2:16)
Please remember that friends. It’s not by works we are saved but by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:8-9) And yes, we definitely ought to do good works, but those works don’t mean anything when it comes to saving us from hellfire and damnation. They may bring us rewards in heaven, but they will NEVER get us to heaven!
And since we began with the awesome words of Psalm 37, it only makes sense to end with some of them. (smile) And we can never go wrong when we follow this marvellous advice of Bruh David. ‘Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.’ (Ps. 37: 34) Yes, my fellow believers, waiting patiently and expectantly on our God is one of the best things we can ever do, for He will exalt us in His own time.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home now declaring (oh yeahhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one confident 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!’
Now my fellow saints, that means we must do whatever it takes to keep on keeping on. And don’t forget, that if we endure to the very end, that future with Christ will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Mama Mia! What an amazing life is to be had with Christ! Much LOVE
…only in Christ…can the real and true life be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a marathon, a sprint race, but one receiveth the prize, catch our second wind, every man that striveth for mastery is temperate, faith, fear not, grow in grace and faith, hands on the plough, have good success, I discipline my body, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I should be a castaway, jump in feet first, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, one step at a time, perseverance, sacrifice, shall not depart out of thy mouth, so glad to be alive, so run that ye may obtain, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Isthmian Games, they which run in a race run all, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, Wednesday Wail, when I have preached to others
1 Corinthians 9:24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain.
Wednesday, oh Wednesday! The middle day of the work week, where we catch our second wind, so we can finish the week’s race, strong in Jesus’ name. Yes friends, every week is a sprint race, with life being an overall marathon. And we win them just one day at a time, then one week at a time, with rest and rejuvenation on the weekend, to come back out bursting with confidence and energy on a Monday morning, ready to take on all comers in the race of life, in the mighty and wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That’s how Bruh Paul characterized the Christian life, like a race, when he told Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Oh my fellow believers, it’s important that we realize that our Christian faith is indeed a race, and a long one too; one necessitating much faith, sacrifice, and perseverance. It’s definitely not meant for the faint of heart, or the weak in spirit. And we can only run it successfully by having the utmost faith and trust in our Triune Godhead, sincerely believing that through their amazing help and assistance we will eventually be victorious.
That’s how all the great men and women of God were able to run their difficult races. And though our races today might be somewhat easier than theirs back then, it still necessitates great faith, because the enemy is still out there just chomping at the bit to cut us down and make us useless to Christ, like unflavoured salt or darkness of spirit. Now, listen to how Bruh Paul explains the Christian race to his readers in Corinth. ‘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)
And the scholars tell us that ‘Paul draws on a scene familiar to his Corinthian readers in order to drive home his point. The Isthmian Games were an athletic event known to all of his readers. They were held on alternate summers in the vicinity of Corinth. It was an event not to be missed by anyone of importance in all parts of Greece. As a national institution, it was familiar to his readers as modern football is to most Americans.’
I guess those games was the forerunner to our modern Olympic Games. So, since everybody knew of them, the idea of a race was something they would all understand. It’s like Jesus talking about a shepherd to His listeners, something with which they were all familiar. And me talking to us about Christ, whom we all know about. (smile)
Anyway, after proposing the race idea, Bruh Paul sets it up thus: ‘And every man that striveth for mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown, but we an incorruptible (imperishable). (1 Cor. 9:25)
That’s the big difference between the physical and spiritual races friends. The physical one gives us a crown that perishes or can be destroyed by moth or be stolen by thieves. However, the spiritual crown is set up for us in heaven, incorruptible, imperishable, cannot be destroyed or stolen. That’s what makes it so important, and the winning of our earthly race so necessary.
Consequently, Bruh Paul strenuously advises: ‘I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I. not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under (discipline) my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (be disqualified). (1 Cor. 9:26-27) Ah mih people, as we said earlier on the Christian race is indeed not for the weak in spirit or faint of heart. And if you don’t believe me, listen to the scholars explain what Bruh Paul was writing about.
They say: ‘ The expression I keep under loses much of the original sense. It has the idea of to “give one a black eye,” “buffet,” or “bruise.” Paul’s readers knew that in the Isthmian Games, the boxers wore gloves consisting of ox-hide bands covered with knots and nails, and loaded with lead and iron. To prepare for such an event, a man would have to brace himself to endure all forms of physical abuse.
Lest that by any means…I myself should be a castaway (lit. “So that…I myself will not be disqualified”). Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation: his subject is still Christian liberty. The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert both being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’
And we think that our modern-day boxing is brutal! Hn! Bruh Paul’s zeal about the Christian race must have frightened off some people, thinking that to be a believer, they had to put up with such awful physical abuse. It’s no different from the way some of us behave today, desiring no sacrifice or hard times on our Christian journey. But that’s simply impossible, for life itself brings hard and sacrificial times whether you’re a believer or not.
It all begins with self-discipline though my brethren! If we are to live successfully for Christ, we need to conquer our flesh, our carnal nature, and that can only be done by constant training. And that training means constantly meditating on God’s word, through prayer and thanksgiving, and putting it all into action in our lives.
But don’t believe me, hear it directly from the horse’s mouth, (smile) when the Lord Himself explained it to Joshua, on making him the Israelite leader after Moses’ death. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) And friends, if the Lord says it’s so, then so it is! (smile) Who are we to dispute it eh.
So please, let’s get serious about living for Christ nuh. Life itself is difficult enough, and Christ’s desires adds more to it. But the good thing is that He never asks us to do stuff we can’t do, or not give us the tools to do it. But we must believe, to come up with the necessary faith. And that only comes from daily experience with Him. As we give our lives to Him, and see how He faithfully handles them, then our faith grows. But we have to let go and jump in feet first, take the first step; then, taking one step at a time grow in grace and faith. As Christ reassuringly advises: ‘Fear not.’ That’s the only way to do it.
Now, for those of us who are doing our best to live for Christ, let’s go home letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Him, by declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail. As one strong, confident 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!’
Now, let’s get out there and run that race of glory for Christ, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…to successfully run a race…one must prepare seriously for it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future more glorious than we can ask or imagine, a productive child of God, all these things shall be added unto you, as you sent me into the world, catch our second wind, crucified to the world, endure to the end, hypocritical ninnies, I am halfway home, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, I'm not turning back, in the world but not of the world, infiltrate Satan's kingdom, Jesus doesn't ask us to do anything He wouldn't do, keep them from the evil one, may be in them and I in them, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not of the world but sent into the world, raised to new life, release the captive being held in darkness, sanctify them in truth, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sent back to free others, so have I sent them into the world, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the love wherewith thou hast loved me, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, you are a child of God first and foremost, your word is truth
John 17:15. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
And then it was Wednesday, the middle day of our workweek, when we ostensibly catch our second wind. (smile) Now that only applies to some of us, because many of us never catch a second breath, since the week is usually over by the time we do that. (smile) It’s amazing how some of us allow work, our jobs and positions to dictate all that we do and are. But it ought not to be so, for our main purpose in this world is being a grateful and productive child of God, and our jobs are only incidental to that.
We must not allow what we do to become who we are for that’s the way of the world. In other words, the world says what you do gives you the importance, power and meaning to your life. But in God’s kingdom it’s entirely different. There you are a child of God, first and foremost, everything else is icing on the cake. That’s why Jesus advised and encouraged us to ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes friends, if we are children of God, then our focus should always be on the things of God and not the things of the world. That brings us to the Christian saying that we are in the world, but not of the world. However, I do like how the article on the subject in the desiringgod.org website revisits that slogan.
And they quote John 17:14-19. ‘ I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.’
It’s obvious that Jesus doesn’t want us to be a part of the world, however, as the article continues: ‘But notice that for Jesus being “not of the world” isn’t the destination in these verses but the starting place. It’s not where things are moving toward, but what they’re moving from. He is not of the world, and he begins by saying that his followers are not of the world. But it’s going somewhere. Jesus is not huddling up the team for another round of kumbaya, but so that we can run the next play and advance the ball down the field.
Enter verse 18: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” And don’t miss the surprising prayer of verse 15: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Jesus is not asking his Father for his disciples to be taken out of the world, but he is praying for them as they are “sent into” the world. He begins with them being “not of the world” and prays for them as they are “sent into” the world. So maybe it would serve us better — at least in light of John 17 — to revise the popular phrase “in, but not of” in this way: “not of, but sent into.”
The beginning place is being “not of the world,” and the movement is toward being “sent into” the world. The accent falls on being sent, with a mission, to the world — not being mainly on a mission to disassociate from this world.’ Now, hopefully that gives us some food for thought, (smile) and makes us realize that as disciples of Christ it’s our bounden duty to go into the world and make others want to come to Him.
For, as the article concludes: ‘Jesus’s true followers have not only been crucified to the world, but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others. We’ve been rescued from the darkness and given the Light not merely to flee the darkness, but to guide our steps as we go back in to rescue others.’ And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! And I’m chuckling here because that wasn’t where I intended to go, although I’m not sure where I intended to go. (smile) But that’s the interesting thing in writing on scripture; you end up in places that often surprise you.
Anyway, I believe the article is interesting, and the points very valid. Jesus doesn’t just want us to stay away or get out of the world, for how then would we make disciples of the world? It’s more like we are to dig deeper into it, using all our protective armour and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit to infiltrate Satan’s kingdom and release the captives being held in the darkness there. That’s why we’ve been given all the tools we have. Not just for us to prance around like hypocritical ninnies and claim we are Christians, but to actually do the work we have been called to do!
And I don’t know how we cannot truly live for Jesus when He and His words are ever so beautiful. Just listen to how He closes out that prayer nuh. ‘O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the LOVE wherewith thou hast LOVED me, may be in them, and I in them.’ (John 17:25-26)
Now aren’t those extremely beautiful sentiments? Yes! And they are all in our favour, on our behalf! So how could we not LOVE and worship Jesus eh? Only if we are sinful, ungodly ingrates! But for those of us who are just the opposite and do our best to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry 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 lest we forget, if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Now, please let that encourage and reassure us to endure to the very end! (smile) Much LOVE!
…Jesus doesn’t ask us to do anything…He didn’t or wouldn’t do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as a burning fire, bounden duty, catch our second wind, delayed not to keep thy commandments, disobedience -not doing what the Lord says when He says, endure to the end, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his word was in mine heart, I am a companion of all them that fear thee, I am halfway home, I know that my Redeemer lives, I made haste, I thought on my ways, I was weary with forbearing, in his law doth he meditate, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not turning back, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, shut up in my bones, standeth in the way of sinners, stubborn goats running around wild, teach me thy statutes oh Lord, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, them that keep thy precepts, thou artmy portion oh Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, turned my feet unto thy testimonies, walketh not in the council of the ungodly, Wednesday Wail, without a purpose, yet in my flesh shall I see God
Psalm 119:60. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
And the days surely are moving briskly along; we’ve already reached Wednesday, the middle of the work week. Time to stop for a moment and catch our second wind, so that we can finish the race of the week almost as strong as we began it. Unfortunately though, we can’t do that without the Lord’s help, without meditating on His Holy Word and obeying what the Word puts in our hearts and souls.
Yes friends, only our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has the awesome power to rejuvenate our souls and spirits, anytime and anywhere, and without Him, we’re just lost and stubborn goats running around wild, without a purpose, in the arid land that’s Satan’s world. Remember He clearly stated; ‘without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
That’s why the wise author of Psalm 119, could declare with confidence. ‘Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words. I entreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands (cords) of the wicked have robbed (bound) me: but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy (LOVING-kindness): teach me thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:57-64)
Now my fellow saints, that just corroborates what I’d said earlier. It is through meditating on and obeying the Lord’s Word that we get relief from the pressures of this earthly life. Many of us have indeed promised the Lord to keep His Word, but sadly have not done so, yet we’ve sought for His mercy. That’s not wise or logical my brethren. We can’t make a promise to God, but break it, then be boldfaced to seek His mercy. Promises, to God or anyone else, ought to be kept. I like how the psalmist puts it: ‘I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.’ (Ps. 119:59)
Now that’s what many of us need to do in these tough and terrible times; consider our sinful ways and then turn to the Lord God of our forefathers in repentance. And these are possibly the most important words of the whole passage of scripture: ‘I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:60) Oh my people, our keeping of the Lord’s Word is so important that as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘Do it when He says it, and how He says it. Any thing less is disobedience.’ We can’t procrastinate to do the Lord’s bidding until we feel good and ready, or do it how we feel it should be done. Otherwise, we’re not obeying His commandment.
And it’s important too to note as the psalmist points out, that though the wicked had him bound in cords, he didn’t forget the Lord’s Word. That’s how it ought to be with us my brethren. It ought to be like Jeremiah says when he was being persecuted for speaking the Lord’s Word. ‘Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing (of holding back), and I could not stay (endure it). (Jer. 20:9)
Ah mih bredrin, once the Lord’s Word gets seated in our hearts and souls it’s real difficult, if not impossible, to get it out, because, like Jeremiah experienced, it just keeps burning like a fire in our bones, with its truth, grace, mercy and the amazing promises of salvation and eternal life! Glory be!
That’s the power that true faith in God brings. We need to be like Job, who despite his many trials and tribulations could still stand up and confidently declare: ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day (the last day) upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.’ (Job. 19:25) Oh my people, how many of us are so thoroughly convinced of that eh, even though we have seen the Redeemer, Christ Jesus come to earth and save us? Unfortunately, not enough of us to make a real difference in our world.
It is also imperative that we spend quiet time with the Lord, as the psalmist proclaims: ‘At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements.’ (Ps; 119:62) Yes friends, we cannot learn and keep God ‘s Word without His help, without talking to Him about our problems and giving Him thanks for the many undeserved blessings He’s showered upon us.
And fellowship with other believers is also another important aspect of our faith, like the psalmist acknowledges: ‘I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.’ (Ps. 119:63) We need to hang out with others like us, others who believe in Christ Jesus and are committed to keeping His commandments. We ought to be like Psalm 1 says: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)
That says it loud and clear friends! Too much association with the workers of iniquity does not become a child of God, because their iniquity is liable to rub off on us. Anyway, by now we ought to get the right picture. (smile) And for those of us who have gotten it, and are doing our best to practice it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one loud and proud 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 please believe me my faithful brethren, those of us who endure right down to the end, will discover that the future is even brighter than we can think or imagine. So please, let’s endure right to the end nuh, for that’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…living for God is quite simple…obey His Word…then leave all the consequences to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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