25 Aug 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, as the day follows the night, backsliders, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassion of Jesus, delight thyself also in the Lord, error of their ways, evil and ungodly times, fret not thyself because of evildoers, Friday chant, give thee the desires of thine heaert, God is good to Israel, God's promised never to leave nor forsake us, he shall bring it to pass, I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I was envious of the foolish, increase in riches, Jeusus is faithful, LOVE, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, omnipotent help, prosperity of the wicked, simmering unrest, sin is enticing, stand strong and steadfast, sunshine lollipops and roses, test his own personal relationship with God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the repercussions of sin, the righteous are chastened, the ungodly who prosper, the weekend, their eyes stand out with fatness, thou shalt be fed, trust in the Lord and do good, trusting faith, violence covereth them as a garment, wise guidance
Psalm 73:3. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
And after a wet and foggy night, Friday has turned out somewhat sunny, but the cloud cover is still there threatening the blue skies that are peaking out. (smile) But that hasn’t stopped us from zestfully proclaiming: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ And believe me, as August is winding down, there won’t be many more warm and pleasant weekends, as the cold weather begins to take over. But we know that we can handle whatever comes against us, because we have Jesus on our side, and He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) Give Him some thanks and praise my brethren, for He is as faithful as the day follows the night.
Ah friends, as I was perusing the Good Library, looking for something to write on, I came upon Psalm 73, a psalm of Asaph, titled ‘Prosperity of the Wicked.’ It’s one I know, but haven’t read for some time, and it suddenly struck me as being very appropriate for these evil and ungodly times. For it points out how easy it is to lose our faith and fall into evil doings, when we see the wicked prosper in spite of their ungodliness. Now, the scholars have some wonderful explanations on it, so I’ve decided to follow their lead.
They say: ‘This psalm is another dealing with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Unlike Psalm 37, however, it does not emphasize the brevity of that prosperity.’ And Psalm 37 is Bruh David’s famous psalm that says: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2) However, the author of Psalm 73, Asaph, ‘observes that sometimes the bounty achieved by the wicked does in fact last throughout life (v.4)’ And we have all seen the wicked prosper throughout their entire lives.
But Asaph ‘emphasizes every believer’s need to test his own personal relationship with God. That alone provides the ultimate satisfaction available to the believer who witnesses the affluence of the wicked. The psalm contains two key parts, first the psalmist describes the problem of the wicked’s prosperity (vs. 1-16). Not only is it an objective fact (vs. 4-12), but it almost caused him to stumble spiritually and lose his faith (vs. 1-3, 13-16) So now that we have some idea of what the psalm is all about, let’s read it together.
‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs, pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than their heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly). They set their mouth against the heavens: and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to (drained by) them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper (who are always at ease) in the world; they increase in riches.’ (Ps. 73:1-12)
Oh my people, haven’t we all seen what Asaph is speaking about in these evil and wicked times, when the rich seek even more than they can ever use, but their greed is so rampant that they are willing to oppress and even kill the poor to satisfy their greedy and lustful desires. And despite their greed, evil deeds and ungodliness, they prosper in this evil and ungodly world. Meanwhile, the righteous are chastened, as Asaph writes.
‘Verily I have cleansed my heart (kept my heart pure) in vain, and washed my hands in innocency (innocence). For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus: behold I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the generation of thy children. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (troublesome in my eyes); Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73: 13-17)
Yes my brethren, in spite of Asaph’s righteousness, it was not until he went into the Lord’s sanctuary that he truly understood what was happening! And it can indeed be incomprehensible to many of us who try to live godly, and yet see the wicked prosper in their evil deeds and schemes. But we have to hold on to our faith, and believe as Bruh David says that eventually they will be destroyed. Unfortunately, it might not be in our lifetime, or even theirs, but the Lord has promised to destroy the wicked, and we all know that He’s faithful to keep His promises.
In the meantime, if we want to stand strong and not fall for, or stumble into the prosperity of the wicked, we also have to take these words of Bruh David very seriously, where he says in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:4-6)
And I know that’s all easy to say, but doing it under the shadow of the wicked’s prosperity takes a lot of effort, sacrifice and faithfulness in God. But that’s what we signed up for when we received Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He will make a way, where there seems to be no way, and He will supply all of our needs, and no weapon formed against us will ever prosper, but at the same time we must realize it won’t all be sunshine, lollipops and roses, for no life is ever like that, not even the prosperous wicked.
And if God spares life, we’ll continue with Psalm 73 tomorrow. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help to handle all the evil and ungodliness that’s coming against us. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.
Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, it’s up to us to keep our promises, and do our part, so that heaven can do its part! Much LOVE!
…sin is indeed enticing…but are the sure and serious repercussions of sin…truly worth it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, afraid of sacrifices, as ye see the day approaching, commit thy way unto the Lord, elbow grease, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, exhorting one another, fulfill the Great Commission, gathering in the Lord's sanctuary, get with the programme, give diligence and be zealous, he shall bring it to pass, He will always be there, He'll take your hand and lead you on, I am Committed, I am not ashamed, I am your destiny, I have committed my life to Jesus, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight, I know He cares, I know whim I have believed, I know who, in the dark He revealed Himself to me, interpretation of God's word, Jesus knows what you're going through, joyful time, let your heart be perfect with the Lord, lonely nights, LOVE, Maxine Duncan, not a dry eye in heaven, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, raise our level of commitment, sacrificial voices of praise, trust also in him, you will always be strong
Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
It’s that joyful time again my faithful brethren! I’m talking about gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary on His day to fellowship with other believers and give our great God much wonderful thanks and praise! There’s no other time like that in our busy, mundane lives, (smile) and besides it’s something we’ve been strongly advised to do, so that we can also stir up and encourage each other. The author of Hebrews tells us: ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb. 10:25)
And the day of Jesus’ return is fast approaching my people, so we need to get with the programme and gather together regularly, so that we can raise each other’s faith and spirit. And one of the best ways of doing that is by joining together in sacrificial praise to Almighty God. And today, we open with a marvellous song that highlights exactly what we need in these turbulent times in much greater amount from those who call themselves believers; that’s strong, true, sure, undefiled commitment to Christ Jesus The song is called ‘I Am Committed!’ originally done by the popular Jamaican Evangelist and Gospel Singer, Maxine Duncan.
Yes friends, there’s nothing that Jesus needs more from us right now than our sincere commitment to His most worthy cause. So, let’s raise the roof of the sanctuary with our sweetly flavoured sacrificial voices of praise, in a sincere, heartfelt, scintillating, soulful rendition of this beautiful song. Singing: ‘Hn, hn, hn! Dear Lord! Thank You Jesus! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Early this morning, I woke from my sleep I heard His voice speak softly to me He says my child you have had some lonely nights That’s why I am here to comfort you if you only believe
(Chorus: That’s when I committed my life to Him Cause I know that He cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He’ll always be there That’s why I am committed.) It was in the dark, He revealed Himself to me He said my child I am your destiny Lonely nights I spent in agony As I prayed secretly, I started to cry I am committed [Yes I have committed my life to Him I know that he cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He will always be there That’s why I am committed)
When Trials come and they seem so hard to bear Yes Jesus knows what you are going through Your circumstances, He will fix it for you He’ll take your hand, he’ll lead you on You will always be strong. (Yes I have committed my life to Him Cause I know that He; cares for me Yes I have committed my life to Him I know he cares, He will always be there That’s why I am committed. I know he cares He will always be there That’s why I am committed. I know he cares He will always be there That’s why I am committed’
Oh my people, that was wonderful! There wasn’t a dry eye in heaven, because they heard the sincerity in our voices. That means we can’t let them down now, we have to actually show that serious commitment in our daily walk with Christ. And since the last days seem to be on the horizon, this is a time when true commitment is badly needed so we can get as many people as possible under Christ’s umbrella of salvation before it’s too late for them. And there are so many scriptures in the Good Library that deal with commitment that we can only highlight a few here.
Now, possibly the most widely known one is that penned by Bruh David in Psalm 37: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37: 5) Then there’s this one by Cousin Sol, when he dedicated the temple to the Lord, that most of us don’t know. He told the congregation of Israel: ‘Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments as of this day.’ (1 Kin. 8:61)
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. They say, Cousin Sol ‘closes his prayer with a challenge to Israel to be perfect with the Lord, that is, fully and wholly (completely) committed to His person and standards (cf. Matt. 5:48) for a growing spiritual maturity.’ And my fellow saints, that is the challenge that I’m throwing out to all of us this day. We need to be fully and completely committed to Jesus and rise to the occasion to fulfill His Great Commission in whatever way we can. Time is of the essence and we cannot afford to dilly dally any longer or just talk a good talk, we desperately need to walk the walk, right now!
And by the way, the reference above there to Matthew 5:48, just happens to be Jesus teaching on LOVING one’s enemies, and He ends on this note. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ That means possessing a complete LOVE like God’s. and we can only get close to that goal by being truly committed to walking in His ways. Meanwhile, there are some scriptures that Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter about being committed.
Listen up: ‘Wherefore I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12) And therein lies a major problem with why more believers are not fully committed to Jesus: they are afraid of the sacrifices they might be called on to make, and they are also ashamed of Jesus and what He stands for. How then can we ever get real kingdom work done when so many are not committed eh?
Then there’s this advice Bruh Paul gave to Timothy: ‘Study (be diligent) to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ (2 Tim. 2:15) And the scholars explain that thus: ‘The command to study means “give diligence and be zealous.” It involves a total effort of mind, emotion and will. Rightly dividing (lit., “cutting straight” the word of truth. The apostle appeals for effort to be made to properly interpret the word of God.’ And do we ever need proper interpretation of God’s word in these deceitful and treacherous times!
And when it’s all said and done friends, we ought to be able to truthfully say words like Bruh Paul did. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race). I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Oh my people, not all of us can be as zealous as Bruh Paul in Christ’s cause, but we can all be more zealous than we currently are. So, please, let’s raise our level of commitment today nuh, if we truly LOVE Jesus! Much LOVE!
…no cause can be won or accomplished…unless its devotees are truly committed to it…and are willing to input the necessary elbow grease…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a perfect Lazy day Saturday, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, fear ye not, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, I am the Lord that is my name, it is good that a man, let Israel hope in the Lord, living in an earthly paradise, LOVE, loving kindness, more than they that watch for the morning, my glory will I not give to another, my soul waiteth for the Lord, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, neither my praise to graven images, Satan is no match for God, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, that he may be gracious unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, the desires of thine heart, the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord shall fight for you, the Lord's never late, therefore will he be exalted, therefore will the Lord wait, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, to the soul that seeketh him, trust in the Lord and do good, wise and encouraging words, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy, wither as the green herb, ye shall see them again no more for ever
Lamentations 3:26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.
And it’s a perfect lazy day Saturday! The rain fell during the night…and is still drizzling some, the temperature is in the low teens, just the right atmosphere for lying in bed and enjoying a peaceful Saturday morning. Unfortunately though, some of us cannot afford to enjoy those luxuries, those creature comforts, for we have to get up and be about our Father’s business. (smile) And what does our Father want us to talk about on this brand-new day eh, when His mercies and compassions are brand spanking new, not yesterday’s leftovers?
And it seems to be these wise and encouraging words from the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, which declare (yesss!!!): ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:25-26) Oh friends, those are such powerful and wise words that if our world would only consider doing them, we’d be living in an earthly paradise rather than the earthly hell that currently surrounds us!
But no, our thing these days is to turn away from the Lord, the source of our creation and continued breath of life, even to the point of trying to turf Him out of our society. Yes, the evil and darkness in our world is so strong that a lot of us are leaning in that direction. But I’m here to tell us once again, that that will NEVER happen! The enemy might gain a fair amount of power, but the Lord will NEVER give up His hold on His creation and all therein, as He says so plainly in Isiah 42:8. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’
What’s so difficult about that to understand eh? It’s very clear and plain as far as I can see. But the wicked and foolish just don’t learn. They don’t see that their leader, Satan himself was no match for God and was kicked out of heaven, and even then, he was further weakened by Christ’s triumphant victory over him at Calvary. For the wise believers though, there are several scriptures throughout the Bible that recommend waiting quietly and patiently upon the Lord. Let’s look at a few of them nuh.
And right at the very beginning, as the children of Israel stood fearfully watching the mighty Red Sea in front of them, blocking their escape route, with Pharaoh’s army hot on their heels, Moses uttered these words of truth, faith and encouragement to them. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex. 14:13-14)
And we all know what happened: Moses, through the Lord’s grace, lifted up his rod and parted the Red Sea, the Israelites walked across on dry land, then the Egyptians were swallowed up by the reconverging waters. That’s possibly one of the mightiest acts the Lord ever did in man’s history, but can you believe that those Israelites forget about it in no time and began doubting the Lord and complaining about their circumstances. That’s why they wondered forty aimless years in the wilderness till all the adults who came out of Egypt were dead, with only Joshua and Caleb from that old group making it into the Promised Land.
And sadly friends, that’s still how many of us are today. The Lord has done all sort of good deeds in our lives, but we’re not very thankful, and forget them as soon as a new, unfortunate circumstance raises its head in our dreary lives. But there is yet hope for us, and we can change our attitudes with hopeful and encouraging words from the scriptures.
Listen to these encouraging words from Psalm 130 – A Song of Degrees – where the psalmist declares (chuh!!!): ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:3-8)
Now how can we believers argue with those sentiments eh, when they are the gospel truth? But hear this verse from Isaiah, as he talks of the graciousness and mercy of our wonderful God. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18) How can we ever go wrong waiting on our most merciful and gracious God eh? We cannot! But please note that in all our waiting we must exalt and reverence Him. That’s the most important aspect of waiting on His timing.
And there are many more scriptures in the Good Library on waiting and hoping in the Lord, but I believe Bruh David says it perfectly in Psalm 37, which advises us to trust in the Lord. Please read these marvellous words of wisdom and encouragement with me. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
Oh my fellow saints, what marvellous, true and encouraging words for us to ponder on this rainy, lazy Saturday! So, let’s take a few minutes and do just that nuh, for it will certainly brighten our spirits and our day! Much LOVE!
…it’s not easy to wait on the Lord’s timing…but you can be assured that He’s in total control…and He’s NEVER late…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new day with new mercies, cease from anger, commit thy way unto the Lord, endure to the end, evil doers shall be cut off, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, good intentions, hands on the plough, hope and wait patiently for the Lord's salvation, I'm halfway home, in our faithful God we trust, it is of the Lord's mercies we're not consumed, laziness, LOVE, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, not turning back, procrastination, rejoice and be glad in it, that which I do I allow not, the desires of thine heart, the Lord is my portion saith my soul, the Lord's will shall win out, the wormwood and the gall, therefore have I hope, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, too much on my plate, trust in the Lord and do good, Wednesday Wail, what I hate that I do, what I would do that I do not, work ethic
Romans 7:15. For that which I do, I allow not (don’t understand): for what I would do (want to do), that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.
Wait a minute…is it Wednesday already? And a sunny, warm Wednesday according to my computer? Wow! We’ve been so busy celebrating the potentiality of Monday and Tuesday that we did not even notice them going by! Therefore, I suggest we do the same for Wednesday. Why not eh? It’s a new day, with new mercies, new life and grace of God. and the Good Book even tells us to do so. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:24)
And I like that approach to life, celebrate each and every day as if it’s our last. Be thankful that we’ve been granted life to see it, and be hopeful that we’ll be granted more life to see another one. But if not, then on that very day, we’ll be in paradise with Jesus! Glory Be, my faithful brethren in Christ!
Ah friends, the ole fella is going through a season where the mind is chipper enough, but the body is not responding with the corresponding chippiness. That means we’re not doing as many of the things we want to or need to do. And sometimes it bugs me, while at other times, I simply say: ‘Chuh! Why to worry? They will all get done at some time or another.’ It seems like I’m full of good intentions, but not the necessary actions to fulfill those good intentions.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not totally lethargic, (smile) I am doing stuff, just not as much as I want to, and with the priorities that I believe I should have. I’m doing the easy stuff that doesn’t take much mind bending or elbow grease. The only thing that thoroughly engages my mind these days is the Scrip-Bit. Faithfully, each and every morning I awake and get myself down here to write it. And I have no problems in doing so. I know that’s the most important thing I have to do each day, so I just buckle down and get it done. It’s just the other stuff in which my most heartfelt dreams are encapsulated, that I’m not getting to as I desire.
And I’m chuckling here now, because the Good Library opened right at the passage of scripture that I envisioned would be somewhat appropriate for my behaviour. It’s when Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not (don’t understand): for what I would do (want to do), that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:14-15) The difference between Bruh Paul and I though, is that I don’t hate the things I’m doing. And I’m not doing anything wrong. It’s just that I’m not doing more of the things I believe I ought to do.
And granted some of that has to do with my stance on the importance of the work ethic and dislike of laziness and procrastination, although, sometimes that is useful for our souls and bodies. (smile) And I guess some of it is the enemy trying to wind me up and make me feel guilty, while the Lord is trying to tell me to settle down and just do whatever I can on His timetable. Who knows, perhaps I just have too much on my plate, and even if I went at it tooth and nail, I won’t be able to accomplish it all, the way I want to.
Now that’s a lesson I should have learned long ago, from my earlier much too busy life. Trying to do too many things at the same time, you end up not doing any of them properly. But this one thing I do know: that the Lord’s Will shall win out eventually. But in the meantime, I’m still not happy with the situation. (smile)
Anyway, enough with the dissatisfaction of the soul, let’s turn back to what we were originally discussing; rejoicing over a new day. And I don’t think anybody says it as poignantly as the prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations. In the tough times he suffered on the Lord’s behalf, he wrote: ‘Remembering (I remember) mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:19-23)
And is that ever the gospel truth my people! Yes, it’s only because of God’s great LOVE for us, and His faithfulness to His covenant with us, that we wake up each and every day. Otherwise, our sinful and unfaithful behaviour would have caused Him to destroy us a long time ago. And that faithfulness of God causes Jeremiah to continue in the best way possible. He sincerely declares (yesss!!!): ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
Mama Mia! Those are certainly words to live by; faithfully seek the Lord and with expectant hope wait on Him! And Bruh David in Psalm 37, expounds on that theory more widely, when he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:3-9)
It couldn’t be said any better than that friends! And believe me, like many of us, I can testify to all Bruh David says there, from earlier experiences in my life. I guess, like we often do, I just needed a refresher course today. (smile) So let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) 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 now friends, this further word of encouragement. If we endure to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask of imagine. So let’s use it to help us endure nuh. Much LOVE!
…in our faithful God we trust…and it shall ever be so…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
09 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook with Christ, align with God's will for our lives, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be led by the dreams in your heart, become a new creation, better things ahead than anything we leave behind, but with God all things are possible, commit thy way unto the Lord, damned if you do, damned if you don't, delight thyself also in the Lord, don't be pushed around by your fears, eveything becomes new in Christ, faith and trust don't come overnight, he shall bring it to pass, he shall give thee the desires of thine heart, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, LOVE, our Christian agenda, our lazy day, personal expereince, recoiled to God, train your brain like you train your body, trust also in him, with men this is impossible, your best days are ahead of you
Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Greetings my Scrip-Bit friends and family on this cool but sunshiny Saturday in early July. It’s our lazy day at last. And believe me, was I ever tempted to be lazy. (smile) Could have gotten up long ago because I went to bed at a rather early hour last night, an early hour for me that is, and stayed in bed all night. Consequently, it wasn’t easy getting out of bed because with that long amount of rest the ole back was obviously acting up. As they say, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t! If I don’t lie down long enough, I don’t get sufficient rest, but if I lie down too long, my back acts up.
Anyway, the Lord’s work had to be done, so here I am, obediently doing it, aching back and all. (smile) And, as always, on a Saturday we look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us in the week past, as he aspires to inspires us for a better tomorrow, and see how they interact with our Christian agenda.
And the first one says: ‘There are far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.’ And that’s a wonderful truth friends, if you are a true believer in Christ, because with Him, your best days are always out ahead of you. Yes, when we come to Christ, we become new creations, are reconciled to God, and all the old sinful and ungodly things of our previous life are left behind, everything becomes new in Christ and we have a much better day to look forward to. (2 Cor. 5:17-18)
Now that doesn’t mean that all our problems will just vanish into thin air, it’s possible that we might have even more and greater problems, because with greater responsibility comes greater problems, but we will be able to handle it all better through the help of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Before we come to Christ there is no true help, just Satan trying to drag us down with him, but when Christ enters our lives… oh my people, there is help everlasting! Remember God’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11)
The next quote tells us: ‘Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.’ And that’s very good advice, but we have to put it into our Christian context. That means first of all, as Bruh Paul said to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 5:7) So, with Christ in your life, fears don’t bog you down like they did before.
However, those dreams must now also become aligned with the will for Christ in your new life. Here’s how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5) Unfortunately, when we come to Christ, we must wait on His timing, which isn’t always easy to do, and also do the things that He desires of us.
Now, I can tell you from personal experience that He will bring many of your heart’s desires to pass, once they align with His will for your life. I’ve wanted to do a lot of things in this life and faithfully, many times unexpectedly, He has allowed me to do them, though not always to the extent that I’ve desired. But my greatest desires are still out ahead of me, and I do hope that they will align with God’s will for my life, because I would be truly disappointed if some of those never came to fruition.
But He’s the Boss, and I can only do what He allows. And the good thing is that I’m not worried, a tad concerned yes, (smile) because most of what I want to do is for His greater glory, so why wouldn’t He allow me to do them eh? That’s why you need plenty trust and faith. However, that kind of blind faith and trust don’t come overnight, but only with experience in God’s wonderful grace and mercy.
Meanwhile, the next quote declares: ‘The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking.’ Now that might sound sort of contrary because we usually consider our minds to be the only place that all our dreams are possible. But I believe the quote is saying we are the ones who limit our dreams by our limited thinking. And if you are a true believer in Christ, you’ll know that nothing is impossible with Him. As He said to the disciples when they were amazed at His statement that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
And, unfortunately, when we limit our thinking, we also limit the power of God in our lives. For remember what Jesus said earlier on to the disciples. ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) So, once we are in Christ, it’s essential to believe that all things are possible through Him who strengthens us.
But then too, like the following quote advises: ‘You have to train your brain to be positive just like you work out your body.’ And that’s the gospel truth! We don’t get powerful and positive minds by simply believing in Christ. No, we have to train our minds, just like we train our bodies. And how do we do that? As believers we need to read and meditate on God’s Word, His Guidebook for Life, the Bible. Then talk to God through prayer, while listening to and obeying the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers to lead and guide us in the right way, and also fellowshipping with other believers.
Like everything else, we only grow through practice and experience…and it all takes time. So, please don’t be discouraged if you find yourself floundering, keep keeping on, because there is no giving up when you are in Christ. That brings us to our last quote: ‘You need to be able to manage stress because hard times will come, and a positive outlook is what gets you through.’ The first part is true, trials and tribulation will come, but a positive outlook ALONE, will not get you through. A positive outlook with Christ in your life is what will get you through!
Please note the many people with only positive outlooks who didn’t get through the recent pandemic – sorry, it’s not done yet – the current pandemic, because it takes more than just a positive outlook. It takes strong belief, faith, trust and surrender to the power that’s greater than us, the power that created and controls the universe and all therein, and that’s Almighty God! That’s the backdrop, the foundation you need for your positive outlook! Much LOVE!
…only in Christ Jesus…will you find all that you need for living this life…as well as the next…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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
19 May 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be cut down like the grass, blessed with success, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., broken right now in the name of Jesus, commit thy way unto the Lord, curse, delight thyself also in the Lord, envious against the workers of iniquity, Fret not thyself over evildoers, give thee the desires of thine heaert, God's promises will happen in His time, life is a series of ups and downs, LOVE, negative word, of fair and foul weather, patience and long-suffering, positive outlook on life, Rest in the Lord, self-control. self-discipline, shall we not receive evil, shall we receive good at the hand of God, supernatural strength, the bad helps us to appreciate the good, the breath of life, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, Thursday Blessings, thy judgement as the noonday, trust in the Lord and do good, wait patiently for the Lord, wither as the green herb, you can never go wrong living for Jesus
Psalm 37:7a. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:
Well, Thursday’s turned up wet and cloudy, but we can’t complain because we’ve had some good weather for the last few days. And as Job said to his wife so long ago in their terrible tribulation: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) Yes friends, we’ve got to learn to accept the bad with the good, and that doesn’t come easy, it’s a learned situation, born out of patience and long-suffering.
And it’s especially necessary for this generation who have all the amenities available to them and figure they are entitled to only good times, to learn that reality. They need to understand that life isn’t one big, long, good time, but a series of ups and downs, of fair and foul weather, and moreover you cannot enjoy the fair weather unless you know the foul. Unfortunately, it’s the bad, the trouble in this life that makes us appreciate the good.
And Job’s life is a good example of that. He would never have appreciated God’s goodness as much as he did, if trouble had not befallen him. The same goes for us today my people. All the trouble we’re currently going through is helping us to appreciate the Lord’s goodness and mercy, because we know that He will not allow us to suffer for ever, but with every problem will bring a way of escape or the ability to see the trouble through.
And that’s why these words of Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – are so important for us to know, and even more importantly to put into practice, because it doesn’t make any sense to know stuff and not action it. So, let’s renew our acquaintance with the marvellous advice of Bruh David nuh, let those faithful words find rest in our hearts and souls as we work them successfully into our everyday lives. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And yes, it does seem like the wicked are prospering despite that promise of God. But please note, that like all of God’s promises, they will happen in His own time, but happen they will. And if He says that the iniquity workers will be destroyed, then they will be, when He’s good and ready, so you don’t need to worry about them. What you need to be concerned about is your own sense of righteousness, which can be enabled by these other promises.
‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps. 37:3-6) Yes, my brethren, giving our life to the Lord, surrendering our all to Him is how our righteousness and justice is conceived and brought to life.
And there’s more good advice that makes it even better. (smile) ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider (look for) his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’ (Ps. 37:7-11)
And all of God’s people said a loud and proud ‘Amen!’ because it’s the word of the Lord, and His word is truth! He’s a most wonderful God, and we ought to LOVE Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, the way He desires of us, and for the many blessings and mercies He bestows on us every single day of our lives, the biggest being giving us the breath of life to see another day on His glorious earth.
Oh my fellow saints, life’s been laid out so clearly and plainly for us that it’s shameful when we don’t accept it and live it out. Let’s quickly review that lay out of life nuh. First up is, ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers.’ And yes, sometimes that’s not easy to do when you see the wicked prospering, but who’s the greatest in the universe eh? Almighty God. So, if He says something, then as a faithful believer you ought to believe it. And that leads us to ‘Trust in the Lord,’ so we can enjoy His faithfulness.
And I do like this one: ‘Delight thyself in the Lord,’ for when I do that, He will give me the desires of my heart. Glory be my brethren! Who doesn’t want to get the desires of their hearts eh? We all do. However, those desires must be in line with God’s will, for good and not for evil, otherwise no dice. Then when we ‘Commit our way unto the Lord,’ He brings it to pass; light and righteousness overtake us like the noonday sun. And this is possibly the most important and surely the most difficult: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’
Yeh friends, most of us find it difficult to wait for anything, especially in this now for now society, but waiting on God’s immaculate timing is essential if we expect to successfully receive His anointing. And there we have it, the basics of living for God, spelled out so wisely for us even before the coming of Christ. And the only thing He’s changed is that we must believe in Him, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, to get to the Father.
So friends, why are we so worried, so anxious and discombobulated over the circumstances of our lives eh? There’s no reason whatsoever for it, because the Lord’s promised safety and salvation and He faithfully keeps His promises. And when we faithfully live for Him, then we see such a profusion of blessings that it just boggles our minds. And we have a very good example of that in our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has bestowed on us to help us do His earthly work. Let’s declare them right now nuh, so that we can activate them.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now required to go out and share them with others just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…despite the heartaches and troubles you may face…you can never go wrong…living for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Apr 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an attitude of total trust, bring backsliders back to your fold, commit thy way unto the Lord, defeat the virus, Easter Season, faith is a condition of the soul, faith is more than inner belief, for a witness unto all nations, Friday chant, great is thy faithfulness, have our hearts reflect what our mouths have spoken, he shall bring it to pass, his compassions fail not, I wait for the Lord, imbued with consistent and responsible service to God, in his word do I hope, introduce a whole new flock, It is of the Lord's mercies, LOVE, many shall come in my name, marked by a stable character, more than they that watch for the morning, my soul doth wait, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord, no greater love, preached in all the world, take heed that no man deceive you, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the beginnings of sorows, the believer's whole life, the gospel of the kingdom, then shall the end come, therefore I have hope, they are new every morning, this I recall to mind, trust also in him, unrest in our streets, wake up and smell the coffee, we are not consumed, we will rejoice and be glad in it, with him is plenteous redemption, with the Lord there is mercy
Lamentations 3:22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
And so, Friday has opened bright and sunshiny, but somewhat chilly, not as warm as it ought to be at this time of spring. But that’s okay, we can handle anything that comes against us because of the Holy Spirit of Jesus that indwells us. It gives us the boldness, the confidence to declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’
And since it’s a day He has made, we shall therefore rejoice and be glad in it! So, please give our great God some thanks and praise for His wonderful works to us undeserving children of men. Let’s gratefully remember, as Jeremiah said in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam. 3:22-23)
Oh my people, it is indeed because of the Lord’s compassion, His mercy and faithfulness that we are not totally destroyed. And He especially showed His great LOVE and compassion for us in this past Easter Season when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross so he could justly and righteously have reason to forgive our sins! No greater LOVE than that can ever be found!
And in explaining ‘faithfulness,’ the scholars tell us that: ‘The word root from which it comes stresses that real faith is more than inner belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stable character and an attitude of total trust that the believer’s whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible service to God (c.f. 1 Sam. 26:23; Ps. 37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one’s life.’
Yes friends, just like God has been faithful throughout His long existence, so we His creation and joint-heirs with Christ need to be faithful in all walks of our lives. And I believe that shows up positively in Jeremiah’s life when he remembers how he was mistreated, locked up and derided for preaching God’s word, and though he tried to get rid of it, the fire of the word still burned in his belly. ‘And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.’ (Lam. 3:18-21)
That’s when he talks about the Lord’s compassions and mercies that we’ve spoken of above. Yuh see, once you’ve been associated with our wonderful God, and seen His faithfulness, it’s difficult to lose faith in Him, even when you go through real tough times on His behalf. That hope He imbues within us just doesn’t die, because deep down, we know that He is Almighty God; omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, to whom all things are possible, the One who can bring us through any untoward situation if He so chooses.
Sometimes though, unfortunately, He doesn’t choose to make us escape the difficulty, because He has some good reason for us experiencing it. But the wonderful thing about our God is that He will NEVER allow us to go through something alone; He is always beside us monitoring our progress through the particular situation and through life itself.
That’s why the psalmist could also confidently declare in Psalm 130. ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps. 130:5-8)
Wow! What hope, and trust in God the psalmist shows there! His soul is waiting more deeply for God, than those who are keeping watch for daybreak. And he says it twice, for us to know how deep His trust and faith are in the God of his forefathers! Now that’s the kind of faith that we modern day believers ought to be showing, especially in these contrary and oh so difficult times, which seem to mimic the beginning of the last days that Jesus spoke about.
‘Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ: and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers (various) places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows (birth pangs)…And the gospel must first be published among all nations.’ (Mark. 13:5-8, 10)
But Matthew is more explicit per that last verse. He recalls Jesus saying: ‘ And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:14) And we are indeed seeing the beginnings of those sorrows for all that Jesus spoke about is currently happening, with wars and rumours of wars, famines in a world with wonderful farming skills and technology, deception everlasting, pestilence, sickness and natural disasters like we’ve never seen before.
And above all, with our wonderful technology the gospel has already been preached or proclaimed to most of the world, and it should not take very long to do as Jesus desires; proclaim it to ALL the world. But in the meantime, we the faithful, must remain faithful and true to His name, and do what He desires of us. And the first thing in our arsenal is always prayer, that awesome method of communication between us and our heavenly Father. So let’s go to Him in prayer right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, seeking His divine help in these rather difficult times.
As one strong, but humble voice: ‘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 Covid-19 virus 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 virus and the unrest in our streets.
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 and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now that means cleaning up our act and having our hearts sincerely reflect what our mouths have just spoken. That is, if we want to receive a positive response from Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…commit thy way unto the Lord…trust also in him…and he shall bring it to pass… (Ps. 37:5)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cast your every care on him, come boldly to the throne of grace, commit thy way unto the Lord, discouragement, every woe He sees and feels, feed my sheep, find grace to help in time of need, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, he shall bring it to pass, He will pardon you today, I am the good shepherd, John Willard Peterson, no one understands like Jesus, obtain mercy, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, trust also in him, without sin
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
It’s that time again my brethren, Sunday morning, where we gather to worship our wonderful God, to sing His praises, hear His refreshing and enlightening Word, and give Him much thanks for His awesome LOVE and compassion towards us, His most undeserving children. But that’s the kind of God we serve and worship. And today’s opening song is a not so old hymn, (smile) as compared to some others we sing, written by John Willard Peterson (1921-2006), in the early years of his ministry, and aptly titled ‘No One understands like Jesus.’
And believe me friends, that’s the indisputable truth! And why shouldn’t it be true eh, since He is God whose thoughts and understanding are incomparable, and when you add the fact that Jesus Himself underwent all the stuff that we go through down here on earth, it certainly adds up to a wealth of understanding. That’s why Hebrews can tell us: ‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (who cannot sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:15-16)
Anyway, enough talk, time to do some singing. And in our usual harmonious and soulful manner let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise to heaven and our marvellous Godhead. ‘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! Cast your every care on Him, Cause no one understands like Jesus.’
You can say that again my people: ‘No one understands like Jesus!’ (smile) And there seems to be an interesting and heart-felt story behind the writing of this song, as there usually are behind many of our favourite tunes. Mr. Peterson appears to have been quite involved in Christian music and tells the story thus: ‘”At one time I had a responsible position with a well-known gospel ministry. One day a supervisory position opened up in my department. I was led to believe that I was to be promoted to this position. 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. One night I had occasion to spend an evening with the man who was brought in for “my” position. For some reason or other, though otherwise a very pleasant fellow, that night he became quite caustic in some of his remarks to me; and I was deeply hurt. 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. Before long, the idea for the song came and I began to write. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Ps. 55:22).
And Peter, who witnessed the perfidy of Judas, echoed his words: “Casting all your care [anxiety] upon Him, for He cares [is deeply concerned] for you” (I Pet. 5:7). 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!’
Yes friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ does care deeply about us, else why would He leave the joys and comforts of heaven and come to earth in human flesh to suffer the humiliation and abuse He did eh? These awesome words of His speak plainly of caring. ‘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.’ (Jon 3:16) There was no reason for the Father to do that, except that His LOVE and compassion for us was so great, He couldn’t just allow us to lose our souls and end up in Hades with Beelzebub.
So Jesus’ coming to earth was all about caring. And the Good Book tells us in so many instances of God’s care and concern for us. Let’s check out a few nuh. Mr. Peterson mentioned a couple. The first one being the words of Bruh David from Psalm 55 – A cry against deceitful friends – where he declares in no uncertain manner: ‘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) and if you are a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then it’s imperative that you believe those words!
Then there was Peter, who experienced Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, as well as his own, when he thrice denied knowing Christ, having been forewarned by Christ that he would do it. And when the cock crowed and Jesus looked around at Peter, he must have wished the earth could open up and swallow him, the shame he felt. (Luke 22:55-62) But the Lord not only forgave Peter, but also encouraged him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ (John 21:15-19) And Peter rose to be one of the leaders of the church.
All of that caring and compassion of Jesus, must have compelled him to write: ‘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) And that’s the gospel truth friends! Peter experienced it, so he could testify to it. Likewise, many of us have also experienced the Lord’s care and compassion in our normal everyday lives, but you know what, in these turbulent and dangerous times we need to seek His care and compassion even more than usual, since the world is in such turmoil.
And Psalm 37 – the true state of the wicked – has a couple of interesting verses that we should all take hold of. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…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. 37:5, 23-24)
Oh my fellow believers there’s no doubt whatsoever that Jesus cares for us. How else can you interpret these words of His: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) My fellow saints, please ponder those words today, and see if they don’t add up to a tender and heartfelt caring on the part of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Much LOVE!
…no one understands…or cares…like Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mere mortal, a teacher of the Gentiles, according to the will of God, acrimonious contention, against that day, ambassadors of Christ, and am persuaded, Christ's promises are always faithful and true, commit the keeping of their souls to him, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassionate heart, curse, endurance, fearful of the world, fireworks, for I know whom I have believed, forever linked to divine destiny, freely - inseparably mine, Fret not thyself over evildoers, getting along together, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's treasures, hard slog of everyday politics, he is able to keep, His thoughts toward me, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I cannot fathom, I do know, in well doing, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, negative word, not fleeting but lasting and immortal, now and throughout all eternity, One Year Book of Bible promises, our majestic God, prosper, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, self-control, spiritual maturity, stand before the judgement seat, succeed, that which I have committed unto him, the Creator of all that exists, the evildoers shall be cut off, the indescribable universe, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, the things of God, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thoughts of kindness and mercy, Thursday Blessings, unity, utterly overwhelmed, wait patiently for him
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And it seems that the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden went off smoothly yesterday, with none of the expected fireworks. Thank God for that! We didn’t need anything else to further complicate the situation.
And yes, there were a lot of nice words spoken about unity and getting along together, but let’s see how that works out in real life nuh, when the newness of it all settles down, and the hard slog of everyday politics begins.
Thankfully too, that all three branches of the government are under the control of the Democratic Party, so there won’t be occasion for the acrimonious contention that existed recently with one party controlling two branches and the other one.
But enough of all of that yes. Let’s pray that situation improves so that the whole world can concentrate on other important stuff, for though the American power is in decline, unfortunately what happens there, still affects most of us.
And there’s plenty stuff that we don’t and never will know, but here are some things that ALL of Christ’s followers and believers ought to know. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, and it’s appropriately titled ‘I Do Know.’
Please pray with me: ‘There is much I cannot fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God. But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists.
I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Oh my people, can we really proclaim that with the ultimate certainty it deserves? I don’t think so nuh, because too many of us are still too fearful of the world and what it brings, and too in LOVE with the things it offers! And moreover, if we were that certain about the things of God, our lives would not be in the state of utter dismay, division and decline that they are currently in.
The world is still holding too much sway in the lives of believers, and until we let most of it go, we will keep on being miserable and not able to truly appreciate our wonderful God and all the things and plans and good purposes He has for our lives.
Let’s remember that the world is not the only entity that offers wealth and power and status, our great God offers them too, but under a different set up, and you don’t have to strive, kill yourself to achieve them, if He desires you to have them.
And just like we have to bow to the world to get them, so do we have to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and they will be added unto us. The difference here is that God’s treasures are not fleeting and easily lost, but are lasting and immortal.
And the Bible Promise for our reading, as well as our Bit, explain why we can have that immovable and unbreakable trust in the Lord God Almighty. Bruh Paul is writing to Timothy in his second epistle, exhorting him to endurance, something we badly need to also have in these oh so trying and tiring times.
‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Oh friends and fellow believers, can we make those statements with heartfelt certainty? I hope so, because to reach spiritual maturity those are things, characteristics that must show out in our everyday lives.
Others must see that we’re not ashamed of Christ, not afraid of the world, but live for Him, because we have committed ALL we have and are to Him, and believe that He will do whatever He says, for His promises are always faithful and true.
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho). The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Meanwhile, Peter, in his talk of believers being good stewards of God’s grace puts it thus. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19)
And Bruh David puts it as only he could: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only cause harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:5,7-9)
Truer words were never spoken my brethren! So let’s do our best to live by them nuh, so that our lives can truly reflect the LOVE and compassion of God. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us so we can help others.
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 everyday! Amen!’
And now, as good ambassadors of Christ, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!
…oh…the wonders of our great God…how magnificent and magnanimous He is…
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