09 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sinless soul, acquainted with grief, all we like sheep have gone astray, an unblemished lamb, blessing and cursing, blossomed forth with sunshine, borne our griefs, by the death of his Son, choose life, curse, dampening our lives and spirits, despised, divine promotion, esteem him stricken smitten of God, eternal damnation, eternal separation from God, God commendeth his own love toward us, I am the vine ye are the branches, life light and resurrection of Jesus, LOVE, made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, negative word, prosper, quell our enthusiasm, reconciled to God, rejected, saved by his life, self-control, so that you and your seed might live, succeed, the chastisement of our peace, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the Prince of Peace, the way the truth and the life, Thursday 's Blessings, turned every one to his own way, we esteemed him not, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, with his stripes we are healed, without me ye can do nothing
Isaiah 53:6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
And it’s another sunshiny day to give thanks for! Glory to God my brethren! Thursday has blossomed forth with sunshine and blue skies under the watchful eyes and hands of our wonderful Creator! That’s about four sunshiny days in row now. Wow! I can certainly handle that! (smile) Enough of the dark, damp, dreary weather which only tries to quell our enthusiasm and passion by dampening our lives and spirits.
It’s certainly time to accept the light, life and resurrection that’s so generously offered by Jesus Christ. Nowhere, and from no one else can you get all the good stuff He has to offer. He’s the light of the world, the way, the truth and the life, the good shepherd, the lion of Judah, the Prince of Peace and numerous other things that we don’t have time to venture into today. But just those few ought to give us a sense of how important Jesus is to mankind.
Most importantly though He is our Saviour: the One who gave His sinless life so that we could be saved from our abominable sinful situation! The One who took our sins on His sinless shoulders and gave us His righteousness! Mama Mia! It couldn’t get any more wonderful than that my fellow believers! As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in his second missive: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21)
Meanwhile, the prophet Isaiah said it this way long ago, when talking about a man of sorrows and a lamb to the slaughter. ‘He is despised and rejected of (forsaken, scorned by) men; a man of sorrows (severe pains), and acquainted with grief (sickness, injuries): and (because of his severe personal suffering) we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs (spiritual sickness), and caried our sorrows (severe pains): yet we did esteem (reckoned) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God.
But he was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement (correction, discipline) of our peace (with God) was upon him: and with his stripes (the blows that cut into His body) we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:3-6)
Yes friends, the Lord made Jesus to suffer for our sinfulness. Someone had to suffer, to pay for our sins if they were to be justly and righteously forgiven like the Lord desired. And only an unblemished lamb, a sinless soul could do that. And it just so happened that Jesus was the only sinless soul in existence. Thus, His sacrificial, but majestic and selfless role in our salvation. What amazing obedience Jesus showed in doing the Father’s bidding. But even more amazing is the LOVE the Father showed to us, His unworthy creation, by placing all our sins on the shoulders of His only Son, then imputing His righteousness to us.
Wow! As Bruh Paul puts it in his letter to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated His own special) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom. 5:8-11)
What a Man! What a Saviour! What a God! And that’s why we say, why we consistently maintain, we’re absolutely nothing without Christ! And He confirmed it when He declared (yesss!!!) ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5)
Truer words were never spoken my people! For without Jesus, we’re just a bunch of reprobate sinners bound for eternal damnation in the fires of Hades. And, unfortunately, although we have Jesus and the marvellous options of heaven and eternal life with Him, many of us are still choosing hell fire and Satan. Now, you don’t have to consciously choose the devil, but once you reject Jesus, the Saviour, you are automatically bound for eternal separation from God, which I’ll remind us again, is the worst fate that can ever befall a human being.
So please, I plead with us to wise up and do what Moses told the Israelites. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed shall live.’ (Deut. 30:19) And now, for those of us who have chosen life, have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are doing our best to live for Him, it’s time to go home declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
So as one strong and sincere voice let’s loudly declare (yesss!!!) them, so that they can be activated. ‘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 said all of that, let’s go out now and action those declarations (oh yesss!!!) just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that others can be gladly and joyfully shepherded into His wonderful fold. Much LOVE!
…if it wasn’t for Jesus…where would we end up eh…in hellfire with Satan…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a place of eternal life and rest, blessing and cursing, choose life, endure to the end, eternal death and damnation, halfway home, hands on the plough, jump on Jesus' bandwagon, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, refreshes our souls and spirits, separation from Almighty God, set before you life and death, thank the Lord for Jesus, that both you and thy seed may live, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the flooding transforming power, the joyful things i owe to Jesus' goodness, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the soaring surging peace of Jesus, the worst fate a human being can suffer, there are no words, there's nobody else like Jesus, therefore our God, to a glorious future with Jesus, tormented in this flame, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name, Wednesday Wail
1 Chronicles 29:13. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
So we’ve come to Wednesday, the middle of the work week, but nothing much has changed, except the temperature seems to have fallen below the freezing mark. The day is still cloudy, with barely a hint of sunshine, and I know all this gloom has to be affecting many of us negatively.
But as we keep saying, ‘Thank the Lord for Jesus yes! Without Him in our dreary, same old, same old lives we’d be completely lost! Yes Lord, we give you all the praise and glory for Jesus, who not only saves our souls, but refreshes and replenishes our daily lives with His amazing LOVE!’ And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Amen!’
Yes my faithful brethren, Jesus is the answer; the answer to everything, the only answer we’ll ever need in this life, as well as the next! That brings us to this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that shows just how essential Jesus is to us. It’s aptly titled ‘There Are No Words.’
So please read with me. ‘How can I put into words, my Lord The flooding transforming power That sweeps my life because of You? How can I explain to anyone The soaring, surging peace That You alone can give? All the wonder-filled things in my life All the joyful, glorious things I owe to Your goodness, Your grace, Your LOVE. Nothing is ever the same since knowing You And the longer I know You The deeper my LOVE.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my people? It certainly is! Once we get to know Jesus, our lives are never the same. And the longer we know Him, the more we come to LOVE Him because of His exceptional mercy, grace and LOVE!
Wow! And that’s why He is the answer to EVERYTHING! The only problem is that if you don’t know Jesus, haven’t accepted Him as Lord and Saviour, then you cannot partake of that awesome grace, mercy and LOVE that He has to share, and desires so deeply to share with mankind. Thus, you are missing out on the best things in life!
Oh, I know some of you think you have life so good because of your power, wealth and physical possessions, but tell me, what’s going to happen to all of that when you give up the ghost of this life to go to the next eh? Will living the way the ungodly world dictates help you then? Will you carry all that wealth and power and stuff with you? Absolutely not! So what’s the big fuss over them all about?
You can achieve the same level of wealth and power and stuff with Jesus in your corner, but the difference is that with Jesus in your life, at the end, you will go to a place of eternal life and rest, rather than to one of eternal death and damnation. Oh friends, eternal separation from Almighty God is the worst fate that can ever befall a human being!
So I’m pleading with us to be wise and accept Jesus before it’s too late. For if you die, or He returns before you accept Him, then things will be very sad and disheartening for you, there’ll then be no chance of spending eternity in heaven with Him. And the only other option is hellfire with Satan. That I don’t think you’ll want, as it’s so well described by Jesus in the story of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man. You can find it in Luke 16: 19-31.
Basically, what it says is that the rich man lived a wealthy and relaxed life here on earth, while Lazarus sat at his gate, begging and eating scraps from his table, as the dogs licked the many sores on his body. However, when they died, the rich man went to hell and Lazarus to heaven. In the torment of hell, the rich man saw Lazarus reclining comfortably in Abraham’s bosom, enjoying the joys of heaven while he was down there in the depths, hot as hell! (smile)
Then what did he do? ‘And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they come from thence.’ (Luke 16:24-26)
Then the tormented man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his five remaining siblings on earth to testify to them so they wouldn’t experience his fate. But Abraham nixed that idea too, saying, ‘If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:31)
Now friends, those were not my words, but those of Jesus, and if the Son of God, who cannot lie, says there is a not very nice place reserved for those who don’t believe in Him, then whom am I to argue with Him eh? Instead, if I’m wise, I’m going to jump on His bandwagon and do my best to stay there, since I don’t want to end up like that rich man, but like Lazarus.
And that’s the long and short of the story my people! Our options are either to accept Jesus and live eternally, or do Satan’s bidding and die an eternal death. God’s given us free will, so it’s our choice. And I pray that we will make the wise one. Like Moses told the children of Israel: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be any clearer than that my people. And that’s why the Bible Promise from our Poem earlier are the words of Bruh David when Israel was making their offering to build the Lord’s temple: ‘Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.’ (1Chr. 29:13) And that’s how it ought to be my fellow saints! Sincere thanks and praise to our glorious God should continually be issuing from the depths of our saved and redeemed souls! Now, for those of us who are sincerely following Jesus, let’s go home declaring (wowww!!! that’s at least the fourth consecutive time I’ve spelt it right,) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And then there’s this bit of encouragement: if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. So please, let’s do the wise thing and endure to the end nuh! Much LOVE!
…there’s nobody else like JESUS…now say it again…there’s nobody else like JESUS…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appreciate the joy of a sunshiny day., choose life, dark and dreary days, eternal separation between life and death, hell bound goats of the devil, how beuatiful the white snow looks, hurry, in god's eyes, in heaven with Christ, in hell with Satan, it is marvellous in our eyes, laced with hellfire, lock stock and barrel, Michael the archangel, one thousand year reign of Christ, reserved for the unsaved, share Christ's love, the beloved of God, the Great tribulation, the lake of fire, the ramifications of our choices, the second death, the vicissitudes of life, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the Lord's doing, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it, worry
Psalm 118:23. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Well, at long last a day has opened with bright sunshine! Thank you, Tuesday! Oh, we’ve certainly had enough of the dark and dreary days that just seem to kill the hope and joy in one’s life. But, unfortunately, unless you’ve experienced the dark, damp, dreary days of winter, you won’t appreciate the joy and upliftment that a sunshiny day brings. And the unique and contrary thing is how beautiful the white snow on the rooftops and lawns looks when the brilliant sunshine reflects off of it!
You simply can’t deny that it’s another of our God’s marvellous doings. As the psalmist so rightly says in Psalm 118: ‘This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.’ (Ps.118:23) Yes friends, even in the midst of the cold winter months, the Lord has made a way for us to enjoy the snow by making it look beautiful in our eyes when the sunshine lights it up.
Therefore, as the psalmist goes on to say: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Most certainly my fellow believers! This, like every day that we’re alive is a day to enjoy and give thanks since we don’t know how many days, if anymore, we’ll be alive to see sunshine, snow or rain. And though we complain about the vicissitudes of life; the unwelcome and unpleasant changes, I don’t think that any of us are really ready to give up this cruel and evil, but still beautiful earth for heaven just yet. (smile)
No, we still LOVE the earthly life with all its scenic wonders and amazing things that happen therein…although that’s possibly because this is the ONLY life we’ve ever known. But there’s another one on the horizon for all of us at some time or other; either in heaven with Jesus Christ, or in hell with Beelzebub. And choosing Jesus and heaven is a conscious choice we all have to make; it doesn’t just happen by itself. If we don’t consciously choose Jesus and live for Him, then it’s assumed that we’ve chosen to dwell with the devil.
And believe me friends, that’s the worst mistake we can ever make in this earthly life, for being continually in the devil’s company in the next life will surely be laced with hellfire and damnation. The only wise and sensible option is to choose Jesus, choose Him RIGHT NOW, if you haven’t done so already! Why? Because the time of His return is near; nearer than we think. And once He returns all bets are off; you won’t have the chance to choose Him, you’ll be allotted to the hell bound goats of the devil, a very distasteful and disastrous destination.
But if you repent of your sins and believe wholeheartedly in Jesus, then your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and you will spend eternity in heaven with Him. And the Good Book tells us in no uncertain terms what happens at the last judgement to those whose names are not found therein. ‘And death and hell (hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.’ (Rev. 20:14-15)
Yes friends, those who refuse to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour will be thrown into the lake of fire with his satanic majesty. The scholars tell us that ‘the second death is eternal punishment in the lake of fire reserved for and experienced only by the unsaved. Once this final judgement occurs, there is no further need for either death or hell (Hades) (c.f. Rev. 1:18; 6:8; Is. 25:8; 1 Cor. 15:26, 55). An eternal separation is now made between those who have life and those who have “death” (c.f. Dan. 12:2; John 5:29).’
Oh my people, it is ever so important that we understand the serious ramifications of the choices we make down here on earth, and reading those referenced scriptures will give us a better understanding of what will eventually happen. But as I’m so goodhearted and like to spoon feed us (smile) let’s listen to a couple of them.
This one from Daniel, where he talks about the end times: ‘And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for (stands watch over) the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to the same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.’ (Dan. 12:1) The scholars say that means that ‘during the Great Tribulation there will be an unprecedented attack to exterminate the Jews, but they will be delivered by Michael the archangel.’
Meanwhile Daniel continues: ‘And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt (abhorrence). And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.’ (Dan. 12:2-3) The scholars maintain that ‘after the Great Tribulation there will be two resurrections, one of the righteous to everlasting life and another of the unrighteous to everlasting contempt. A comparison with Revelation 20:4 shows that these two resurrections are separated by the one thousand year reign of Christ.’
Now my people, please note that some of this prophecy about the end times had been made before Daniel, (c.f. Is. 25) but Daniel just laid it out in more concrete terms. And there is much more to be said, but it would just make the Bit too long and weighty, (smile) so we’ll leave the rest of it for tomorrow, God willing. Now, for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, and are sincerely trying to live for Him, 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 made that commitment, let’s go out and action it by sharing 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!
…eternal life or death…the choice is all ours…please be wise and choose life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son of man, anger inflames talk, be made the righteousness of God in Him, choose life, come short of the glory of God, come to God in love, consequences for our behaviour, divine guidance, do the devil's bidding, for all have sinned, free will, Friday chant, God so loved the world, godliness brings rewards, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, he gave his only begotten son, he hath made him to be sin for us, he returneth to his earth, his breath goeth forth, in that very day his thoughts perish, Jesus is only a prayer away, job frustration, LOVE, omnipotent help, put not your trust in princes, run amok, simmering unrest, sin brings punishment, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the gift of God is eternal life, the wages of sin is death, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, whose hope is in the Lord his God, you and your seed may live
Psalm 146:5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
And it’s Friday, so everyone’s joyfully shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the work week is over! Glory be!’ You know it always amuses me at our different reactions on Mondays and Fridays; one of anger and frustration and the other of happiness. But the fact is that life goes on as planned, regardless of our reactions. And despite all of our advancements, none of us know what’s going to happen on any particular day of our lives, nor in our oh so messed up and confused world. So why not enjoy every day that we are alive, regardless of what day it is eh, and whether we have to go to work or not?
The truth is that ONLY the Lord God Almighty knows what’s going to happen, and He’s not telling, because He desires us to put our sincere trust, faith, and hope in Him, to rely completely on His mercy, grace and LOVING-kindness. And that makes very good sense since He is the Creator and Controller of the earth and all therein. Why look to anyone or anything else for safety, comfort, prosperity and health when we have the ONE who created and controls it all to look to eh?
And Psalm 146 puts it so nicely and wisely. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the (a) son of man (human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:3-6) And that’s so easy to do, through the medium of prayer. As they say, Jesus is only a prayer away; that means a couple of breaths and words away.
But no, because we have free will, we figure we are entitled to do what we want, when we want, and with whom we want. But that’s a great fallacy my brethren. The Lord didn’t give us free will to run amok and do the devil’s evil bidding, but to choose to come to Him in LOVE and true fellowship. No wonder there are consequences for all of our behaviour, both good and bad. And believe me, some of those consequences are very far reaching, even to the destiny we face at the end of this earthly life. Please remember Bruh Paul’s very serious warning to the Roman church. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ.’ (Rom. 8:23)
Now that’s possibly the most significant warning in all the Bible, because it gets right down to brass tacks, doesn’t mince words about our eternal fate. Now, whether or not you believe Bruh Paul’s warning is entirely up to you, but be assured that it is the truth, and a life of sin will be paid for by death, both physical and spiritual. And since we were all born in sin, because of our forefather Adam’s sinfulness, we are automatically labelled for death: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23)
And for that we will pay a hefty price unless we repent, turn from our evil ways and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, whom the Father sent to die on the cross at Calvary, so His sinless blood could be shed and pay for our sins. Yes friends, our sin debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ. As Bruh Paul writes in his second letter to the church at Corinth: ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:20)
Oh my fellow saints, how great and wonderful is our Father God! How deep and marvellous is His LOVE for us, that He sent His only begotten Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners like us! You must admit that He had to think very highly of us to do such an amazing and selfless deed. Jesus said it thus: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
That says it all right there friends! Jesus came so that we could be saved, because the Father LOVED us so much, He didn’t want to see His most precious creation languish in hell, in pain and suffering for eternity. So He gave us another option; one of redemption and reconciliation, through belief on the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ. But the choice is all up to us. That’s the crux of the matter. And my heartfelt advice is that we do like Moses told the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut, 31:19)
Oh friends it couldn’t be any clearer than that! And for those of us who have chosen life, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine guidance and continued grace and mercy. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the several viruses and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the viruses and the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land that’s threatening to boil over, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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, if we truly want a positive answer to our prayer, then we’d better wake up and smell that coffee and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…sin brings punishment…godliness brings rewards…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
20 Oct 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all tongues confess, an everlasting covenant, both thou and thy seed shall live, buy wine and milk without money, choose life, comapssionate heart, come unto me all ye that labour, come ye buy and eat, come ye to the waters, curse, every one that thirsteth, God commendeth his own love toward us, God's free gift of salvation, great invitation, I am meek and lowly in heart, I have set before you life and death, I will give you rest, King of Kings, let your soul delight itself in fatness, Lord of Lords, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative word, prince of peace, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, self-control, self-discipline, storms of life, take my yoke upon you, that Jesus Christ is Lord, the deceiver of God's people, the name above every other name, the wages of sin is death, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday Blessings, to the glory of God the Father, to whom all knees must bow, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, you reap what you sow
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
And the week’s moving along as programmed. Thursday has opened cloudy and windy in my neck of the woods, but it’s still a wonderful day to be alive! It just means being prepared for the weather when we go out; dress for it and be careful walking or driving. However, for true believers in Jesus Christ, every day we open our eyes is a marvellous day, despite the weather, and one we should all greet by declaring (yesss!!!) these awesome words of the psalmist. ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Yes friends, we ought to be grateful for each day we awaken and don’t see our names listed in the obits, (smile) even when the mighty storms of life, both literally and figuratively are pounding upon us, and we don’t know what to do. But that’s okay too, because we know someone who knows what to do, how to handle both the literal and figurative storms, His name is Jesus Christ; the Saviour of this sinful world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, the High Priest in the heavens, the Mighty Advocate for those who believe in Him and sincerely surrender their souls to Him; the name that’s above every other name, the one to whom ALL knees must bow and confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father!
Wow! What a powerful and influential person to know! And unlike most powerful and influential persons down here on earth, Jesus Christ doesn’t play favourites, or turn away anybody who desires to come to Him, regardless of their troubles, physical or spiritual status. In fact, He welcomes ALL and sundry through His Great Invitation. But before we get to that new invitation (smile) listen to this other Great Invitation that our Lord God Jehovah offered His people Israel through the prophet Isaiah, long before Jesus offered His.
Isaiah gracefully declared (awright!!!) on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance). Incline your ear and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David… Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:1-3, 6)
Oh my people, yuh see how our great God was generous from the outset? As the scholars tell us, ‘God’s free gift of salvation is offered to ALL who will receive it. Those who are hungry and thirsty may come and drink without money (freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles (vs. 5) like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to ALL men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
Yes my fellow believers, from the very beginning God has been pleading with us to come to Him for succour and nourishment for our souls. But sadly, we have been forestalling Him with excuses, lies and deceptions cast upon us by our enemy Satan, the devourer and deceiver of God’s people. However, as we can see God didn’t give up on us – He NEVER does – and with a heart full of LOVE, sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to save us, by paying for our sins with His sinless blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary.
So I don’t know how we can ever say that God doesn’t care for us. And Bruh Paul declares it (yesss!!!) thus in his missive to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Please note my people, that the Lord didn’t wait for us to change our evil ways and come to Him, He came to us first, with salvation, through His glorious Son Jesus Christ.
And Jesus, in His turn, also offered us another Great Invitation, where He pleads with mankind: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) I don’t know how else Jesus could plead with us to come to Him nuh. And He did it all through His earthly ministry, but stubborn, unwise, mankind still refuses to believe Him and seek His comfort, peace and salvation that can be found in no one else in God’s great world.
But that li’l matter of free will keeps cropping up and we keep using it to fulfill our own selfish desires for the things of the world, leaving our souls totally open to be ravaged, plundered and then cast off into the fires of hell by the enemy. That’s certainly not wisdom, especially in a time like this when the whole world is in a negative uproar, one filled with strife, poverty, sickness, natural disasters and inequality of enormous proportions.
Oh, but we have free will, so we can do what we want. And what we want right now is to drive God out of our society. Hn! What a laugh! We are even more foolish than we seem, if we believe that God will ever allow Himself to be driven out of His own creation! But as Moses told the children of Israel a long time ago ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
And just for your information my brethren, that declaration (oh yeah!!!) still stands to this day. So it’s up to you to choose spiritual life or death with your free will. But for those of us who have chosen life, the Lord has bestowed upon us a number of tools to do His awesome work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them (wow! – that’s 5 times straight) so that they can be activated in our lives.
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 now it’s our bounden duty to go out and put those tools to work in Christ’s name. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…you can’t sow sin and expect to reap eternal life…for the wages of sin is death…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
03 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: agonizing heart searching, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cast your every care on him, casting all your care upon him, challeneged by the propsect of a new joy, choose life, Christ fully understood my situation, commit thy way unto the Lord, discouragement gripped him, empathetic song, every woe He sees and feels, for he careth for you, Hades, he shall bring it to pass, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, LOVE, meet Him at the throne of mercy, No one is so near so dear as Jesus, no one understands like Jesus, sacrifices of praise, Satan is a loser, sensed the presence of the Lord, tempted to become bitter, the bitter experiences, the great compassion of the Lord, the lake of fire, the long and short of the story, the Lord's Day, the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal live, the wise money is on Christ, trust also in him, very alone and forsaken, when the days are dark and grim, when the foes of life assail, words of awesome truth
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
It’s come around again friends, the Lord’s Day, that marvellous day called Sunday, where we gather to praise, worship and renew our commitment to Almighty God and receive His awesome renewal of strength and perseverance to face the upcoming week! Wow! No wonder Sunday is indeed the first and best day of the week! Glory Hallelujah!
And to celebrate today’s praise and worship, we are going to sing a fairly recent composition, written in the mid twentieth century by John Willard Peterson (1921-2006). It’s a song that I truly wish so many more of us would take to heart and sincerely accept by putting its sentiments into action. The song is very appropriately titled: ‘No One understands like Jesus!’ And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t what is.
Now here is a li’l background on how the song came about, which I think will endear it to us even more. It seems that Mr. Peterson, the author was at one time employed by a prestigious gospel ministry and was led to believe that an open supervisory position would be offered to him. And according to Mr. Peterson: ‘I was thrilled and challenged by the prospect of a new joy. But I was by-passed, and a man from the outside was brought in to fill the position. There followed days of agonizing heart searching. It was all I could do to keep from becoming bitter.’
I guess many of us would react the same way. However, matters got worse when the new supervisor made some hurtful remarks to Mr. Peterson. And he says: ‘Later that evening, after returning home, I was sitting in our living room thinking about the events of the past days and about the bitter experiences of that evening. I began to feel very alone and forsaken. Suddenly, I sensed the presence of the Lord in an unusual way and my mind was diverted from my difficulties to His faithfulness and sufficiency. Soon the thought occurred to me that He fully understood and sympathized with my situation–in fact, no one could ever completely understand or care as did He.’
Words of awesome truth my fellow believers! And soon after that He began to write the song. ‘Discouragement gripped him. He felt alone and forsaken, and was tempted to become bitter, until he began thinking about the great compassion of the Lord. Who cares? HE does!’ Now let’s sing this marvellous, empathetic song in a soulful, mid-tempo, heart-felt version, opening our mouths and hearts, offering up sincere sacrifices of praise to our amazing Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
As one sweet sounding, harmonious choir: ‘No one understands like Jesus. He’s a friend beyond compare; Meet Him at the throne of mercy; He is waiting for you there. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him!) No one understands like Jesus; Ev’ry woe He sees and feels; Tenderly He whispers comfort, And the broken heart He heals. (Chorus) No one understands like Jesus When the foes of life assail; You should never be discouraged; Jesus cares and will not fail! (Chorus)
No one understands like Jesus When you falter on the way; Tho’ you fail Him, sadly fail Him, He will pardon you today. (Chorus: No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! No one understands like Jesus When the days are dark and grim; No one is so near, so dear as Jesus– Cast your ev’ry care on Him! Cast your every care on Him, Cause no one understands like Jesus.’
Oh my people, there is no one in this world who understand like Jesus! Why, you ask? Because on His earthly sojourn, He underwent, He experienced the trials, temptations and tribulation that mankind suffers every day on this evil and ungodly earth. So, He can indeed empathize with the stuff that we are forced to bear. And when He faced His storms and troubled times, He went to His Father for strength and encouragement, just like He now expects us, His followers to come to Him for compassion and understanding when we are beset by troubles that test our souls and faith.
And we all know the basic scriptures on which the song is based, beginning with this awesome advice from Psalm 55 – A cry against deceitful friends. Bruh David writes from personal experience: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit, allow) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22) Yes my fellow believers, if we cast our burdens on the Lord, He will never allow the enemy to overcome us! And in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – Bruh David again wisely advises us to: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:5)
Now if that isn’t sufficient proof for you, (smile) then listen to Peter, another recipient of Jesus’ great grace and mercy. He advises us to: ‘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 none of those scriptures could be more explicit than they are. It’s simple: with sincerity and trust, take all your concerns to God, to Christ, who cares ever so deeply for you, otherwise they would not have allowed Jesus’ blood to be shed on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, and then send His Holy Spirit to indwell us, so that He can lead and guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life.
And I really don’t know what else it will take for us to truly accept that our heavenly Father allowed Christ to die for us because of His deep and abiding LOVE for us nuh. I guess that’s why He gave us free will, so that we could decide to whom we would give our allegiance, to Him or Beelzebub. I can guarantee us one thing though; Satan doesn’t care one iota about us, he only wants us to lose our heavenly destiny and end up with him in Hades, and ultimately in the lake of fire. So, it’s a decision each one of us must make.
And in closing, let’s remind us that we ought to make the wise choice, choosing life, BEFORE the Lord takes us home, or Jesus comes back the second time, and either scenario could occur at any time. So, the best time to do it is RIGHT NOW! That’s the long and short of the story my people! Much LOVE!
…the wise money is always on Christ…because He first defeated Satan in heaven…and again here on earth…Satan is a loser… why turn to him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of perpetual uncertainty, anti-God, calamity, choose life, disaster, he is thy life, heal our land, humble servants, I have set before you, Jehovah Rapha, large pockets of doubt, life and death blessing and cursing, Love the Lord thy God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obey God's voice, Omicron, our reason for living, rancour, renewing our faith in christ, resentment, retaliation, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, substantial disagreement, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the One who strengthens us, thy length of days, turn from our evil ways, turning to idols, ungodly people cannot prosper, unity in God, walk in his ways, worship other gods, ye shall surely perish
Deuteronomy 30:19b. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
Monday has come down again friends, that means the weekend is over! And let me tell you a li’l ‘secrat’ as my young daughter would say in her early years. Monday is going to keep coming down every week or eight days, however you choose to count it. (smile) It is going to keep coming after every Sunday, for all the days of our lives, so we might as well get used to it and properly prepare for it by worshipping with other believers on Sundays, and thus renewing our faith in Christ, the One who strengthens us to do His will.
And though it’s the beginning of the work week, many of us won’t be going to work because of the tighter lockdown caused by the quick spreading of the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron. Ah mih people, when is this pandemic going to end eh? Only the Lord alone knows yes! For every time we seem to be making some headway, a new variant suddenly pops up its ugly head and triggers more problems again.
It’s not only causing sickness and death but religious, economic and political discomfort with loss of jobs, bankruptcy and violent protests in the streets and churches. That’s due to the large pockets of doubt that exist in the society, as to whether the virus is real, and if the vaccine and other supposed protections are truly useful in reducing the virus’ power and rapid spread.
Unfortunately though, that substantial disagreement has led to a lot of unnecessary rancour, resentment and retaliation which only enables the virus to spread more quickly. And unless we soon come to some general agreement on the entire situation, this predicament will be with us for a while yet, leaving our society in a state of perpetual uncertainty and distrust, as sickness, death, religious, political and economic unrest covers our land.
That recalls the immortal words that Moses said to the children of Israel before he died. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses to) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Yes friends, it’s a simple choice, for there are only two options, blessing and life, or cursing and death, but we have to make the decision. And it seems like we have chosen cursing and death with all the disaster and calamity that’s been recently shaking our world. Now, we all like to quote that verse above, but we neglect to ruminate on what comes before and after it.
Before it, come these prophetic words. ‘See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to LOVE the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.’ (Deut. 30:15-18)
Yuh see my people, the blessings of Israel were dependent on them acknowledging the sovereignty of the Lord and obeying His will. And whenever they strayed from it, as they did several times, much disaster and calamity befell them. And there’s no doubt that in our current society we have strayed far from the Lord God Almighty, disobeying His commandments, turning to idols, even saying that there is no God, while trying to remove Him from our midst.
As I heard one preacher say recently, that atheists spend all their lives trying to remove or dispel a God they don’t believe in. And that’s the gospel truth! Why do atheists work so hard to convince us that there’s no God eh? If there’s none, then they should just leave the whole matter alone and we’ll find out for ourselves. Anyway, let’s see what comes after that seminal verse of Moses’ teaching.
The Good Book follows it with: ‘That thou mayest LOVE the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.’ (Deut. 30:20)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, right there is our reason for living: to LOVE the Lord our God, to obey His voice and cleave unto Him, because He is our life and our length of days! We all know that without Him we have no life, for it’s His breath of life that makes us alive, not anything that we ourselves do. And He also causes us to live however long we do. He controls our lifespan.
So why are we so foolishly anti-God eh, when He controls all that we ever were, all that we are, and will ever be? It’s not wisdom my brethren? And what’s wisdom, you ask? Wisdom is to turn to Him sincerely, seek His face and His righteousness, His mercy and forgiveness so that we and our descendants shall live eternally. That’s true wisdom!
And in accordance with that, we have but one choice in these trying times, that’s to turn to God in prayer for help. Let’s do that through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now please remember what Moses said: to receive God’s blessings we need to keep His commandments, to keep our promises to do His will. Much LOVE!
…for blessings to triumph…there must first be unity in God…disunited, ungodly people cannot prosper…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
18 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a love/hate relationship, as he thinketh in his heart so is he, as he thniketh in his heart so is he, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, chance or coincidental moments, choose life, destiny defining times, does not mean you have to be one, don't be distracted by criticism, God made us to be in relationship, humour comes from self-confidence, hypocritical leaders, I lay down my life that I may take it again, I lay it down of myself, I set before you life and death, Jesus gave as good as He got, Jesus never considered Himself a victim, no man taketh my life from me, pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, raise the level of our faith, scathing criticism, self-confidence comes from humour, shame and indignity of public humility, take a bite out of you, taste of success, think you can and you can do it, this ever-changing universe, to be treated like a victim, victoriously completing His assigned task, where your treasure is there is your heart, your thoughts are your life
Proverbs 23:7a. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
And then it was Saturday… and the springtime temperatures have evaporated, just as suddenly as they appeared, only to be replaced by freezing times and the white stuff with which we have a LOVE/ hate relationship. (smile) Oh yes, the snow’s just drizzling down nicely out there this Saturday morning, a week before Christmas. And I guess that’s the way it ought to be in these northern climes. Everybody wants to celebrate a traditional white Christmas, although in recent years there have been several disappointing occasions, as there’s been no snow at Christmastime, just warm temps and/or rain. But I guess that’s life in this ever-changing universe.
Anyhow, since it’s Saturday, let’s see what interesting quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote says: ‘Humor comes from self-confidence.’ Now, I don’t know if that is as true as it sounds nuh, because a lot of people use humour as a means of building their self-confidence. I believe, if you ask professional comics, many of them will agree that originally they were not self-confident, but as they worked on the humourous stuff, their self-confidence increased. And yes, when we make others laugh at our jokes, it does build up our confidence level, because it’s not easy to make a group of people laugh. So, it’s indeed possible to say it the other way: that self-confidence comes from humour.
Then there’s this quote. ‘Perhaps the turning point in one’s life is realizing that to be treated like a victim is not necessarily to become one.’ Now that’s certainly an interesting comment. And there again, our ability to look at ourselves as victims or not, depends a lot on our self-confidence. And that will definitely be a turning point in our lives whenever we acquire the necessary confidence to stop considering ourselves victims, although the reality might say the opposite. And we have the best example in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I’m sure that most of the people who witnessed the cruelty meted out to Him, His ‘sufferation’ and eventual crucifixion, considered Him a victim of the Roman state and His Jewish leaders. But Jesus was ever so confident in Himself and His purpose that He never considered Himself a victim, but a victor, because He was victoriously completing the task that the Father had assigned Him. And He really didn’t care what it looked like to the multitude, once He was doing the Father’s work. And so should we be also my fellow believers in Christ! Don’t care what others say or think, once we are doing Christ’s work!
Jesus said it quite clearly to those around Him, as the Good Book recounts. ‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (John 10:17-18) Ah mih people, how many of us would have died, both literally and figuratively just from the shame and indignity of the public humiliation and cruelty that Jesus suffered.
That’s why He warned that to be His disciple, we must give up our will, and take up His instead, because in this life, we will suffer trials and tribulations simply because we believe in Him. And when that happens, we need to be exceedingly strong and release the victim mentality, and instead, consider it victory in Jesus’ name. That brings us to this related quote. ‘Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember–the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.’
And isn’t that the awful truth! A lot of people only feel good when they abuse or put down others. But there again, we have the best example of refuting criticism in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He paid no attention to the naysayers, like the scribes and Pharisees, the hypocritical leaders of the Jewish people, who sought to extinguish the light He was brining to the lives of the suffering Jewish nation. They only cared about their own authority and aggrandizement, and since Jesus was cutting into their sacred power and advantage, they had to take Him down, belittle and criticize Him and His cause.
But Jesus gave just as good as He got. And when they realized they could not frighten Him into subservience and quitting, like wild animals, they went for the jugular, a disgraceful public death. But little did they know that they were playing right into Jesus hands, for that was why He came, to shed his sinless blood for the salvation of the world. And so friends, in these dangerous, unruly and ungodly times when we are criticized for doing Jesus’ work, we need to raise the level of our faith and ignore it.
And no, that’s not always easy to do, because ofttimes the scathing criticism comes from those very close to us. But again that’s why Jesus warned we could only be His disciples if we gave up family and friends for His cause. And that takes us to this next quote. ‘None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.’
That’s more godly truth, for remember our Creator made us to be in relationship with Him and each other. Consequently, He never gave any one person all the gifts possible, but spread them around, so that some had some and others different ones, necessitating that we come together and help each other if we want to progress. And it’s why we also have the saying – no man is an island. Because none of us can do it all by ourself, although many times we foolish and selfishly try to, but only suffer heartache and failure.
And if we look back through our lives, we will all find someone, at some time, who did something in our lives that raised us up, that helped move us up to another level of our destiny. And believe me, those were not chance or coincidental moments, but destiny defining times arranged by our heavenly Father long before we ever saw the light of day. Likewise, we also have destiny defining times in the lives of others, so we cannot afford to be selfish and only interested in ourselves, because with that kind of behaviour, we might probably stop someone else from reaching their God-given destiny.
And the last quote informs us: ‘Think you can and you can do it. Your thoughts are your life.’ Now we all know that’s the basic truth of life. The first step in accomplishing anything is to believe that we can accomplish it. That gives us an uplifting confidence and the energy to rise to the challenge. And as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs. ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ (Prov.23:7a) Yes friends, our actions will generally follow in the direction on which our thoughts are focused. That’s why Jesus said: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21)
So, if our hearts are concentrated on the corrupt and degenerative things of the world, then that’s what our lives will reflect. And if our hearts are concentrated on the things of heaven, which are incorruptible and do not degenerate, then our lives will reflect the truth of Jesus. The choice is ours, and ours alone to make. Please, let’s make the wise one! Much LOVE!
…I set before you life and death…please choose life…so that you and yours may live…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bounden duty, choose life, Christ died for us, clam up, curse, discipleship demands sacrifice, divine protection, fear of rejection, five times received I forty stripes save one, free from the bondage of sin, God commendeth his own love toward us, God so loved the world, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, if he shall gain the whole world, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, jump and shout for joy, kicked out of town, let him deny himself, living for Christ, lose his own soul, LOVE, love of the Father, negative word, our hearts were in chains to sin, praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens, self-control, self-discipline, shaming, spring like temps, stricken dumb, take up his cross and follow me, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the amazing love story of Christ, the joy of Christ's birth, the power of God unto salvation, the ultimate sacrifice of life, Thursday Blessings, what is a man profited, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul, while we were yet sinners
Romans 1:16a. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
It’s a cloudy and somewhat windy Thursday morning in my neighbourhood, but we have spring like temps, something like 13 degrees Celsius, and it’s expected to go higher, although there’s a weather advisory also in effect. But however you cut it, we can’t really complain about that kind of temperature in the middle of December in the northern climes. And with the Christmas season in full swing, the joy of Christ’s birth has thankfully lifted the spirits of many who were hitherto somewhat under the weather.
And the amazing LOVE story of Christ will do that every time my people! Because that’s what He came to earth to share, the indisputable, unconditional, irreplaceable LOVE of the Father. A LOVE so strong and wonderful that the Good Book describes it thus: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 8:5)
Imagine that nuh mih bredrin…our heavenly Father sacrificed His one and only Son for us while we were still in bondage to the tyranny of sin! What sort of Father does that eh? Only one that’s very concerned about the people He created. As Jesus Himself summarily declared: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) What an amazing situation for our finite, puny minds to contemplate eh?
Yes friends, while our hearts were still in chains to sin, the Father offered up His sinless Son for us. Now shouldn’t that make us so grateful that we just want to jump and shout for joy, to tell everybody, and praise the name of Jesus to the high heavens? It ought to, if we are truly grateful and free from the bondage of sin. That’s why Bruh Paul positively proclaimed to the church at Rome: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Unfortunately though, many of Christ’s supposed followers are ashamed of sharing His gospel with those around them because it will put them in a bad light with those whose opinions they tend to value more than Christ’s. And sharing Christ’s gospel can get you ostracized as Bruh Paul found out by often being beaten, jailed and kicked out of town, as he explains in these excerpts from 2 Cor. 11:23-27.
‘…in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save (minus) one… In weariness and painfulness (toil), in watchings (sleeplessness) often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.’ (2 Cor. 11:23-27) And yuh better believe that it is still possible for the sharing of the gospel in some societies today to cause serious problems, problems like Bruh Paul’s, thankfully though, not in our society.
But as one commentator, John Piper, puts it in his article on the subject on the desiringgod.org website: ‘The gospel does two things: It brings out shaming behavior in those who will not believe it. And it gives freedom from shame to those who do believe it.’ Yes my people, when we fully believe Christ’s gospel it gives us the power and strength to resist all shame and possible consequences. And that’s partly why our world is going through the current throes of calamity; we supposed believers were, and still are not truly convinced of the power of the gospel and we fear displeasing men more than we fear displeasing God, our Creator and Controller.
Now that doesn’t speak well of us, especially when Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) That’s Almighty God my brethren! But sadly, too many of us supposed Christians only talk a good talk about Christ with our Christian friends and family, but out there amongst the heathen, too often we clam up as though we are stricken dumb for fear of rejection and shaming.
Christ wasn’t ashamed to be crucified naked on the cross of Calvary for us, but we want His salvation without suffering any sacrificial moments. It doesn’t work like that friends. Please remember these words of Jesus to the disciples: ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ’ (Matt. 16:24-26)
Now that’s a very good question my fellow saints? What are we prepared to give up to save our souls eh? Jesus said if we want to be His followers, we must die to ourselves, to our will, and let His will take priority in our lives, even to the giving up of our mortal lives. And no, it’s not easy to do, or even to contemplate, because ‘discipleship demands sacrifice.’ However, the rewards of doing it His way are more plentiful and beneficial than embracing the only other option available, that of getting in league with the evil enemy, who only has the rewards of death, damnation and eternal separation from Almighty God to offer.
And, in keeping with His generosity, the Lord has given us freedom of choice to make our own decision. So please, please, let’s take His advice as set out by Moses to the children of Israel so long ago. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (announce) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) Yes friends, that’s the best advice in this whole wide world – to choose Jesus, who offers blessings and abundant life!
And for those of us who have chosen Him and are sincerely trying to do His will, He’s given us numerous blessings that enable us to perform His earthly desires. We call them our Thursday Blessings and we delight in declaring (chuh!!!) them every Thursday. So, in loud and confident voice, let’s do just that nuh: ‘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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…living for Christ…the ultimate sacrifice of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour, anger, antidote, as for me and my house, blessing and cursing, calamitous times, call heaven and earth, choose life, come unto me, Coronavirus, Daniel Darling, death, dependence on god, direction, eager anticipation, eternal life, eternal separation, faith, fear the Lord, forgive us, frustration, gods of the amorites, gospel truth, guidance, heal our land, hear our prayer, heavy laden, hope, humble prayer, I will give you rest, in sincerity and truth, life and death, lockdown, LOVE, masters of our own fate, meek and lowly in heart, Monday Morning Covid-19 Battle Hymn, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, negative spirit, Our Father, patience, perseverance, repentance, salvation, seek your face, serve the Lord, take my yoke, the created, the Creator, the great invitation, the life and times, this too will pass, to witness against you, we will serve the Lord, who art in heaven
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And life goes on one way or the other through this Coronavirus time. But these calamitous times will end one day, when the Lord so desires. Yes friends, this too will undoubtedly pass, when the Lord achieves the purpose(s) for which He allowed it. However, in the mean time, we have two options of living life, as author Daniel Darling proposes in an article I recently read. ‘We can spend the rest of our years angry at what we think we’ve lost, or we can spend them in sweet dependence on God.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth! We can either get angry and be miserable about all the negative things that have happened and are still happening, or simply do like our leader, Jesus Christ advises; put our total trust and dependence in Him; the One who has moved us from death and eternal separation from God, to salvation and eternal life with Him. Just consider His Great Invitation nuh: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Wow! Is anybody else offering, or have ever offered such a glorious invitation? No sir! And as author Darling continues in his article: ‘This is the difference, I think, between those whose lives are marked by grace and those whose lives are filled with frustration and anger.’ And that’s the gospel truth! Grace and peace come through association with Jesus, but anger and frustration are the product of a constantly dissatisfied and negative spirit, like that of Satan. And with the free will God granted us, we must now choose our preferred or desired course of action: doing life with Him, or death with the prince of demons.
As Moses, on God’s behalf said to the Israelites: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut.31:19) The Lord’s saying the same thing to us today my people. And if that didn’t resonate with you, (smile) then listen to this other invitation that Joshua, Moses’ replacement as the Israelite leader, gave them.
‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (the Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:14-15)
There it is friends, plainly set out in black and white! Now it’s up to us to choose. And since I know that most of us have obviously chosen ‘life, blessing, and the Lord God of Israel,’ then it now behooves us to communicate with Him and follow His rules and regulations, which can sometimes be onerous, but are always for our benefit. (smile) Okay, some of us doubt that, but if you keep the faith and grow in it, you will eventually realize that it’s oh so true. So let’s communicate with our Creator nuh, in the manner that He set out; purposeful, confident and humble prayer.
And this Monday morning the most stressful and discouraging thing on our minds is the Covid-19 disease, therefore let’s address that matter uppermost in our prayer, the one we call our Monday Morning Covid-19 Battle Hymn. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. Despite the crucial lockdown, those of us considered essential, still have go to work, and we’re somewhat fearful, because we have no idea, how, when and where the virus might strike.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction.
Please show us how to successfully handle this scourge that’s plaguing the earth, and help the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to it as quickly as possible. And for those who have already contracted the virus, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them Father. Show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Ah friends, if that didn’t get God’s attention, I don’t know what will nuh. (smile) But He is the Boss and it’s His decision! So now we wait with patience, meaning perseverance, faith and hope, eager anticipation, and a trusting heart, because as we said at the beginning, all will be revealed and come to pass in His time, not ours. And yes, unfortunately our great God doesn’t see, or perceive time in the same simple way that we do, but on a more lofty level.
And to reinforce our differences, He has said through His prophet Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways may ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Now that certainly puts us in our place. And it’s rather sad that so many of us don’t seem to believe it, one of the major reasons why our world is in such a disastrous state. I don’t know what else we need to truly understand that we are not masters of our own fate! Much LOVE!
…to the Creator…belongs…the life and times of the created…
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