24 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name which is above every other name, a positive outlook on life, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, bounden duty, curse, divine protection, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exiled to eternal death, good friends, harmonious living, Jesus christ is Lord, Jesus keeps us well-balanced, Jesus put the Father's will first, Jesus turned the world upside down, Jesus' triumphant resurrection, let this mind be in you, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, negative word, pen-ultimate day of the workweek, reconciled back to the Father, selflessly sacrificed himself, the gospel truth, the only god that's alive and kicking, the Only real God, There's no God like Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to the glory of God the Father, took upon him the form of a servant, whcih also was in Christ Jesus
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (harmonious living):
And then it was the pen-ultimate day of the work week, Thursday…sunshiny and cold, like winter is supposed to be! (smile) Ah friends, the weather has been playing such tricks and games on us recently, moving from one extreme to the next with such ease, that we are glad to finally see a dry, but cold sunshiny day, with no precipitation whatsoever. And it’s oh so good that we have Jesus to keep us well-balanced in our emotions and feelings, otherwise the recent see-sawing weather would certainly drive us crazy.
And as the song’s saying, ‘There’s no God like Jehovah!’ And that’s the gospel truth, for He is the ONLY real God, the ONLY One that’s alive and kicking! All other supposed gods are dead and immobile without any power to move themselves much less to move and impact a world of several billion lost souls. And that, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has done! Done it in spades too!
He’s turned the world upside down, so much so that His name is now the most LOVED and adored, as well as the most controversial on planet earth. That’s because He makes a substantial and wonderful difference through His Holy Spirit, in the lives He enters. You either LOVE Him completely, with all your heart, mind, body and soul, or dislike Him the same way, like the evildoers do. There’s no in-between where our Jesus is concerned; it’s either one or the other!
And why has this magnificent transformation taken place in our evil world down through the ages? Because Jesus came to earth two thousand years ago and selflessly sacrificed himself on the cross at Calvary so that man’s sins could be forgiven, and that we could be reconciled back to the Father, our Creator and Controller, from whom we had been long separated by our abominable sinful behaviour. And in return for that, for that selfless obedience, the Father honoured Him like never before.
Listen as the Good Book tells the story through the words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (harmonious living): Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8)
Oh friends, what a marvellous example Jesus is to us all with our sinful disobedience! And what all that means is Jesus believed in and preached and practised harmonious living while here on earth. And though He possessed a divine nature, was God in man form, He did not boast about it, ‘made himself of no reputation,’ but in all things put the Father’s will first, even being obedient to dying a horrible, unfair, sacrificial death on the cross for a bunch of ungrateful sinners.
But the Father asked Him to, because there was no other just and righteous way to absolve mankind of sin without blood being shed to pay the price for our heinous iniquities. And Jesus LOVED the Father so much that He acquiesced to His request despite the terrible ‘sufferation’ He knew He would have to undergo, even to being forsaken and cast aside by the Father as the bearer of the world’s sin, for a couple of days until His triumphant resurrection on that first Easter morn.
Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! And the Father appreciated Jesus’ great sacrifice so much, that He rewarded Him for His unswerving obedience and selflessness. Hear Bruh tell it nuh. ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 4:9-11)
And that my people is why Jesus’ name is so great, so controversial and so compelling – it’s the highest name there is besides the Father’s! And one day, hopefully very soon, every being on planet earth will bow their knees to Him, acknowledge and submit to His sovereignty as Lord, as God, to the honour of the Father!
Now that’s the good side of the equation, but those unwise people who refuse to bow down and worship Him will be banished, exiled to eternal death and damnation because of their unbelief! It’s as simple as that my people. Either accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, or suffer eternal separation from the wonders of His amazing LOVE and marvellous kingdom.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to take that chance. I’m going to do my best to stay close to Jesus, as close as white on rice (smile) so that when He comes again, I’m going home with Him and remain with Him forever, for wherever He is, I know that’s the best place to be!
And now, for all of us who think that way, let’s go home declaring (chuh man!!!) our Thursday Blessings granted to us to do His awesome work down here on earth. 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!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those gifts, or the fruit from them, as selflessly and generously with others, as Jesus shared them with us. It’s the only way to glorify His name. Much LOVE!
…there’s no other name that moves and fascinates mankind…like that of…JESUS…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a figment of our imagination, a small fish in a big pond, an abundance of bad weather, Christ's triumphant resurrection, climate change, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, curse, easter morning, eaten up by the big fish, faith, fast pace of life, favour, free from the bondage of sin, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, good friends, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, I am the way the truth and the life, Jesus is real, LOVE, negative word, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, our reason for living, self-disicpline, supernatural wisdom, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the author and finisher of our faith, the wrath of God abideth on him, through Jesus Christ the Son, Thursday Blessings, to condemn the world but to save it, to the Lord God Jehovah be all the glory, we don't need to understand just believe
John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Oh friends, I can’t handle this fast pace of life nuh, for already it’s Thursday. (smile) And to make matters worse, in the next few days, we are supposed to be getting an abundance of bad weather, ranging from rain to snow and all the other stuff in between. We’ve had the rain overnight, with the current temps around 6 degrees Celsius, but they are calling for freezing rain later in the afternoon. That means the temperature drops, heralding an icy situation.
Whatever happened to the days when winter was winter eh…and not a combination of all the other seasons? (smile) And yet they claim that climate change is not real. Well, it certainly is! I’ve seen it with my own two eyes since I’ve been in this country. The weather patterns have become less reliable and more unpredictable. But what does the ole fella know eh? He’s just a small fish in a big pond, trying not to get eaten up by the big fish. (smile)
Oh, I just thought of one thing I know for sure, that Jesus is real! He’s alive and well and walking with me and those who believe in Him every step of the way! Wow! What an honour to have the Creator and Saviour of the universe walking hand in hand with us along our earthly journey, then standing ready to welcome us home to be with Him all through eternity! It’s almost too much to comprehend my fellow believers! But He never said we had to understand, just believe!
As He so faithfully proclaimed in these scriptures that we all know by heart, but don’t always take to heart. ‘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) Now there’s our reason for living right there in those few words! It’s all about Jesus, the Saviour of the world!
But ignorant men continually refuse to believe His truthful words. And this next verse is for them: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18) Now friends, that verse ought to give all of us pause, cause us to stop right in our tracks and consider if we truly believe, because if we don’t, crapaud smoke we pipe, we are already condemned to hell fire and eternal damnation.
Yes my brethren, we end up in Hades with the wicked and evil Lucifer simply because we do not believe in Jesus, the One who came to earth specifically to save us from the frightening clutches of the evil imposter. And check out this other verse where He reinforces those statements nuh. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36)
Now why would anyone in their right minds want to experience the wrath of God eh, when the only thing more powerful and less menacing than that is His awesome LOVE! I certainly don’t, especially after reading about some of the instances in His Word. But for some unfathomable reason, many of us seem to take the Lord and His Word for a joke, for something that’s not real, a mere figment of our imagination, a way of life to keep us in bondage to religion.
But the awesome truth is that Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin, from the evil clutches of his satanic majesty. That’s the one who has us in bondage, not Jesus who came to set us free. As He said to a group who claimed to believe in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) Oh my people, only the truth can ever set us free from anything at all! Lies will keep us forever in bondage.
And where do we find the truth? In Jesus. Please note His response to Thomas’ query: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:5-6) And therein lies the solution to ALL our problems my fellow saints. Jesus is the living example for all of us to follow, as the Good Book says, ‘the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith…’ (Heb. 12:2a) So where He leads, we ought to follow.
And He’s also the truth, the genuine God, the real Mccoy. So, we ought also to believe Him. And per the life, Jesus is the One who enables us to have eternal life, through His atoning death on the cross at Calvary, then His triumphant resurrection on that first Easter morning, two thousand years ago. And John puts it very plainly and simply in his first epistle. ‘And this is the record (testimony), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (eternal).’ (1 John 5:11-12) Now that is the everlasting truth!
And since it’s Thursday, it’s time to go home declaring (steups!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so that they can be truly manifested in our lives. As one strong, believing and faithful 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!’
Now friends, we don’t truly deserve any of those blessings, but our God is so wonderful that He gave them to us so we can do His earthly work. So please, let’s go out and share them just as generously with others as He so generously shared them with us nuh! Much LOVE!
…to the Lord God Jehovah be all the glory…through Jesus Christ the Son…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accounted as sheep for the slaughter, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, consumed by the love of Christ, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, good health, I am above and not beneath, I am more than a conqueror, Joyce Meyer, let brotherly love continue, LOVE, make the most of the present, negative word, our God moves in mysterious ways, promotion, prosper and succeed, sincerely come from their heart, some have entertained angels unawares, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, stray from the straight and narrow path, surrender to Christ, the blessings of obedience, the future is promised to no one, the good actions, the head and not the tail, the mark of a true believer, through Christ who loves me, Thursday Blessings, time never comes back, time waits on no one, to go after other gods to serve them, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ
Hebrews 13:1-2. Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Now can you believe it’s already Thursday, and only a few days ago we were wondering if and how we were going to handle Monday. (smile) But these days, though they be turbulent, evil, ungodly and anxiety filled, they certainly are not making joke to move along at top speed. But as they say, time waits on no one, and time is also one thing that never comes back, we can never recoup or recapture it, so we have to make the most of it right when it comes along. Yes friends, we must make the most of the present, because that’s all we have; the past is gone, and the future is promised to no one.
So, on this damp, cloudy, Thursday morning, let’s look at the last few acclamations that I want to share. And the first one is familiar to us all. ‘I am above and not beneath. The head and not the tail.’ Now that’s exactly where believers are supposed to be; at the head and not the foot. But do we know where that comes from? It comes from a very significant scripture where Moses was informing the people of Israel on the blessings of obedience.
‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto (heed, listen to) the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them). And thou shalt not go aside (turn) from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.’ (Deut. 28:13-14)
Now please note that we only become the head and not the tail through obedience to God’s commandments, if we don’t stray from the straight and narrow path. So why do so many of us end up being the tail or the foot and not the head eh? It’s obvious: we don’t keep God’s commandments and allow the gods of this world, material stuff and other things to make us turn to the right and the left, and forsake the straight and narrow path for the wide and deadly one.
And that really goes for every acclamation that we can make; if we don’t believe and live by God’s rules, they won’t any difference in our lives. The basis for acclamations to work is our basic faith and steadfastness in Jesus, doing our best to live the way He desires, otherwise we are just wasting our time. And if we live for Jesus, then this next acclamation will be mighty indeed! ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me!’ Now that’s the living truth! As Bruh Paul tells us from that magnificent and oh so encouraging and reassuring chapter 8 of Romans.
‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
Oh my people, that’s what it means to be all wrapped up and consumed by the LOVE of Christ! Nothing can separate us from it! That awesome LOVE causes us to become conquerors over anything that comes against us! That’s the kind of power we wield when we surrender to Christ and put all our trust and faith in His omnipotent hands and Being!
Now this last acclamation has its basis in many scriptures, in fact we can say the entire Good Book, since it encourages us to do good from Genesis to Revelation. (smile) However, the acclamation itself is a compilation of sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). She likes to acclaim: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’
That certainly seems like something we all could declare over our lives every day that we draw breath. I like it because it’s a generous and unselfish prayer. We are looking for good things for ourselves, but like Jesus desires of us, we are also looking to share our good fortune with others. And it reminds me of that awesome scripture in Hebrews 13, which admonishes us thus: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 13:1-2)
And that’s no lie my faithful brethren! We never know who will come into our lives at some time and make a substantial difference. That’s why we need to be good to strangers, for who knows, we might be entertaining angels and we don’t know it. (smile) Remember our God likes to move in mysterious ways, and ofttimes our blessings come from the most unlikely source.
Anyway, since it’s Thursday, we must declare what we call our Thursday Blessings, if we want them to take root in our lives, because a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. So as one strong 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!’
Oh friends, with all of those godly blessings, we now need to go out and use them for the benefit of others, share them just as generously with our fellow man as Jesus shared them with us. That was His awesome purpose behind all that generosity! Much LOVE!
…the mark of a true believer… the good actions…which sincerely come from their heart…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a time of storm, and said unto the sea, calm the storms of our lives, carest thou not that we perish, curse, even the wind and the sea obey him, faith, favour, good health, he arose and rebuked the wind, how is it that ye have no faith, in the name of Jesus, Jesus is our Guide and Comfort, LOVE, negative word, our less than sterling lives, peace be still, prosper, reverential awe, shivering of the timbers, spur people to deeper trust, succeed, the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm, the One and Only Living God, Thursday Blessings, what manner of man is this, why are ye so fearful
Mark 4:40. Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith?
Once more unto the snow dear friends, once more! Yes, another beautiful snowstorm has inundated us overnight! But thank God, it’s not as bad as the last one a couple weeks ago – at least not yet, because they are calling for 10-20 cm of the darling white stuff to fall between today and tomorrow. In some places there are still high snowbanks from the previous storm, so can you imagine the mess if this one deposits much more than we already have.
But as I keep saying, that’s why we have Jesus, our Guide and Comfort through the times of storm! Oh give Him some thanks and praise my believing brethren for His most honourable, diligent, compassionate and ever-faithful work in our less than sterling lives!
And I guess because we are in a time of storm, both literally and figuratively, we ought to talk about that occasion when Jesus showed exactly who and what He was during one particularly rough storm. All three gospels tell the story – Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25, but we’ll use Mark’s description for our purposes today.
Now, he describes it thus: ‘And the same day (after Jesus was finished teaching), when the even (evening) was come, he (Jesus) saith unto them, Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How it is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:35-41) Now that’s an easy question to answer my brethren: Jesus is the One who created the wind and the sea, therefore He is able to tell them to be peaceful and calm!
Now many of us will make light of the concerns of the disciples, because they had seen Jesus do several miracles, but I know from personal experience out on Lake Ontario, that when the winds and the waves buffet your small boat on a large expanse of water, it’s no fun.
Oh, on that memorable day, some years ago, I learned from first-hand experience what ‘the shivering of the timbers’ meant, having only read about it before, and at times did fear for my life, as well as the five, mostly inebriated others, who were on the boat with me. (smile) And I daresay that many of the disciples couldn’t even swim, so even though they had seen Jesus do miracles, that was a new situation for them.
But here are a couple of interesting notes from the scholars. Re 4:40, where Jesus comments on the faith of the disciples, they say that He constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust. Then give examples in Mark 2:8, 19, 25, 26; 3:4, 23, 33; 4:13, 21, 30.’ And if you look at those verses, you will indeed see Jesus posing questions that cause His listeners to think seriously about whatever He was saying.
And per 4:41, they claim: ‘The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ No doubt it was! But friends, that’s the kind of person; the immutable, unchangeable, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Being, the One and ONLY Living God, that we have as our Lord and Saviour! And right now, in these troubled and trying times of storm, He’s asking us the same questions: why is our faith so small, why are we so fearful, when we have the One who created the universe and all therein as our Guide and Protector?
Yes, we ought to be anxious when the storms hit us suddenly, but not afraid, because He’s not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, LOVE and a strong and disciplined mind! And an article on the biblestudytools.com website puts it this way. ‘The symbolism behind the story of Jesus calming the storm should bring great encouragement and hope for anyone facing a storm in life.. The apostles were shocked and still lacked faith that Jesus was the Son of God who “Even the winds and water obey.”
But since we know more about Jesus and His kingdom than the young disciples did, we ought not to be as afraid as we ofttimes are when the storms of life come upon us. Oh, we must be concerned and do whatever is in our power to calm them, but overall, we should know deep down that Jesus is with us, and that as He faithfully promised, will eventually work everything out for our good. What’s the purpose of having Him as Lord and Saviour if we don’t trust him to look after our welfare eh?
And furthermore, Jesus has been so wonderful to us that He’s even given us tools to handle the storms of life and to help advance His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh. 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!’
Oh my people, when we are so abundantly blessed, how can we still live in fear eh? No way! Now let’s go about Christ’s business with diligence and excellence, and use those blessings to care for, comfort and bless others, just as generously as He’s done to us! Much LOVE!
…ONLY Christ…can calm the storms of our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to repentance, a cleansing of the heart, a compassionate heart, a mans' heart deviseth his way, admonishing words, as wool, bloodguiltiness before God, cease to do evil, come now and let us reason together, condemnation of sin, creativity, curse, devoured with the sword, dirty sa hell, divine protection, eat the good of the land, everlasting life, fruit of God's blessings, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, judge the fatherless, learn to do well, LOVE, major consequences, muddy our waters, negative word, plead for the widow, promotion, put away the evil of your doings, red like crimson, refuse and rebel, self-control, sin is no joke, sin looks good on the outside, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the Holy Spirit, the Lord directeth his steps, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, the righteousness of God, though your sins be as scarlet, Thursday Blessings, to lead and guide us, tongue in cheek, wash you make you clean, white as snow
Isaiah 1:18a. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
Oh friends, I don’t have any tongue in cheek words to begin today’s Bit, another cold and mostly sunshiny Thursday. (smile) But I do have some wise and admonishing words from the Lord our God, spoken by the prophet Isaiah to his people Israel, a long time ago, that certainly seem very appropriate to our current situation. It’s a call to repentance. So, let’s read, listen, ponder and contemplate the wisdom of these age old, but ever new sentiments from our God, and then put them into practice.
Isaiah declares: ‘Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (reprove the oppressor), judge (defend, vindicate) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:16-17)
Yes my brethren, those are indeed wise and powerful words that we all ought to hearken to, because our world has been overtaken by the enemy with his evil doings, and for it to improve, we must turn to the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and all therein, and cleanse ourselves of the enormous iniquity of which we are guilty.
Now, here are some interesting comments from the scholars on those verses. ‘1:16-17. Wash does not indicate that the sinner may cleanse himself. Nor does it refer to mere ritual washing. Rather, it indicates that the sinner must accept the cleansing offered by the Lord, a cleansing of the heart resulting in true repentance.’
Yuh see my people, we can muddy our waters, but we can’t make them clean again on our own. We have to accept God’s cleansing, which means a sincere turning away from sin, and only through Christ Jesus can we accomplish such a heroic and herculean task. Yes, sin is no joke, like so many of us today consider it.
Sin is serious business and it’s what’s driving our world right now, not the righteousness of God, as He desires. And with its many alluring enchantments and enhancements it’s not easy to turn away from sin. That’s why we need a power greater than the enemy to help us do it successfully.
Oh, the Lord knows we’ll always fall into occasional sin because of our natural sinful nature, but with His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, to lead and guide us, we have more than a fighting chance to keep sin to a minimum in our earthly lives. That brings us back to the rest of Isaiah’s declaration. (Wow! I spelled that right!)
He continues in a less accusatory and judgemental vein, but still not mincing his words. ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is. 1:18-20)
Oh friends, our God is willing to sit down and reason with us, if we are willing to admit our sin and change from our evil ways. But if we refuse to come together with Him, but rather to rebel and be disobedient, then we’ll suffer the just punishment for such behaviour.
And no one has to tell us that’s what’s happening to us right now! We have boldly rebelled against the dictates of the Lord and gone our own sinful way. Consequently, we’re being devoured, and not by the sword alone, through worldwide strife, but also through worldwide sickness, worldwide poverty and economic failure, with worldwide disasters, both natural and man-made, all occurring simultaneously!
And yet we refuse, stubbornly and adamantly refuse to turn back to God and seek His forgiveness so that we could once more eat of the good of our land. Hn! Foolish pride and unwise belief in one’s own power will lead us to our demise every time. How did Cousin Sol put it? ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes friends, ‘The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning,’ so we often scheme and plan in vain.
But enough of me, (smile) let’s listen to what the renowned scholars have to say on the matter. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God.
The term ‘crimson’ also means ‘worm,’ referring to the colourful red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus, the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’
Glory Hallelujah my people! What a great and remarkable God we serve! And though I’m no prophet, I believe it’s my bounden duty to again remind us of our Creator’s willingness to embrace all those who turn back to Him in sincere repentance. And His awesome Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, said it as plainly and clearly as He could. And we all know Him as a clear and straight-talking person.
‘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) And we all like to quote that scripture in reference to the goodness of God, but what we fail to realize is that all those who don’t belief in Christ Jesus will ‘perish.’ Yes, that’s what he said…and meant. So, it’s up to us choose whether we believe or not, but please remember there are major consequences attached to each decision. End of sermon! (smile)
But anyway, for those of us who choose to believe, the Lord has most graciously endowed us with blessings we don’t really deserve, but which help us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared, let’s declare them right now nuh, in loud, confident, though humble 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!’
Now let’s go out and share the fruit of those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord’s shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…sin only looks good on the outside…but inside…it’s as dirty as hell…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, be careful for nothing, but of power love and a sound mind, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, courage, creativity, curse, duty to share our blessings, every tongue that rises against you, faith, favour, fear and faith don't mix, feeling down, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, grieve not the Holy Spirit, I am persuaded, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, my peace I give unto you, nay in all these things, negative word, neither let it be afraid, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, Peace i leave with you, plenty practice and perseverance, Rejoice in the Lord always, Seasonal Affective disorder, self-control, separate us from the love of God, shall guard your hearts and minds, that neither death nor life nor angels, the heritage of the Lord, the inclement weather, the Lord is at hand, the Lord's love for His people, the peace of God which passeth all understading, Thursday Blessings, we are more than conquerors, ye are sealed unto the day of redemption
2 Timothy 1:7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.
Oh friends, our God is so good and thoughtful that over the last few days He’s opened each day with bright sunshine to help those of us who might be feeling down because of the inclement weather or suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Praise His holy name! And thus, in conjunction with the light and life that Jesus brings, believers should have no problems adjusting to whatever comes against them in these turbulent times.
For just as the prophet Isaiah declared the Lord’s LOVE to the people of Israel, that same LOVE also applies to us right now. And Isaiah’s reassuring message was as follows: ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)
Now, add to that, Bruh Paul’s message to the church at Rome, where he declares: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:37) Brother! Does all of that ever provide an airtight cushion of LOVE to protect us from the enemy’s assaults. And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of: ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of men!’
And to further encourage us, Bruh Paul continues his message by saying: ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:38-39)
And that should come as no surprise to us my fellow believers since Bruh Paul also told the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) That means once we receive Christ as Saviour and His Spirit comes to dwell within us, then we are sealed as belonging to Him, and no one can break that seal.
So there is no real reason to fear anything that comes against us in this life. Yes, we must be careful and concerned, and some fear will always come upon us when life surprises us, but lasting fear should not ever be numbered amongst our many attributes. That brings us to this other most encouraging scripture, more words of Bruh Paul, this time to his protégé Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
And that’s the gospel truth friends! Through Christ Jesus we have received all the tools we need to run this race of earthly glory in His mighty name! And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, then hopefully, you will believe Jesus, when He says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
But some of you remark, that’s all well and good for Him to say so, but how do we do that in real life? Well, I believe if you follow Bruh Paul’s recipe to the Philippians you can certainly accomplish it. Listen up as he details it. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand (He is coming back soon and He is always spiritually near).
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7) And there you have it my brethren; the way to find the peace of God in this unpeaceful world!
Now, that’s not always easy to do, especially with the evil and ungodly world doing their best to derail our good intentions. Meaning, it only comes through experience, in other words, through plenty practice and perseverance. (smile) But when we continually rejoice, are gracious, thankful and prayerful, with the wonderful fruit of the Spirit thriving in us and manifesting itself in our lives, then obtaining that peace of God should not be a problem.
And on top of all that, our God is so wonderful that He’s also bestowed numerous blessings on those who choose to sincerely follow His will and do His bidding. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) them right now nuh, so that they can be put in place for godly use.
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!’
Now, it’s our duty to go out and share all those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His ardent desire! Much LOVE!
…fear and faith don’t mix…but only through Christ…can the latter prevail…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a part of our Christian walk, abundance, alive and kicking, be of good cheer, challenges our faith, Christ is ever-faithful to those who trust Him, contemplate life with christ, courage, creativity, curse, favour, from Him cometh my salvation, fulfillment, God - our first line of defense, God is a refuge for us, God speed, God's promised to bring us safely through, good helath, gospel truth, great family, he is my defense (strong tower), he only is my rock, helps us to grow, i have overcome the world, I shall not be greatly moved (shaken), in me ye might find peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, LOVE, negative word, pour out your heart before God, self-control, self-discipline, supernatural wisdom, talent, the li'l things in life, the little things in life, Thursday Blessings, truly my soul waiteth upon God, trust in him at all times, words of wisdom
Psalm 62:8. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Hallelujah my Scrip-Bits family! We are alive and kicking for one more day! The Lord has blessed us with His awesome breath of life so we can do His wonderful will for at least one more day! Now isn’t that just marvellous? It certainly is! For there’s nothing like waking up to a brand new day, be it cloudy and cold, like in my area, or sunny and warm, like in the tropics.
It’s so good to wake up and contemplate life; life with Christ, and wonder what interesting things He has in store for us that day, for with Him, each day brings something unknown that challenges our faith and helps us to grow. And is He ever faithful to those who put their trust in Him. And I’m talking from personal experience here, not hear say. And just one example.
Remember yesterday I had to go into Toronto for a medical check-up. Well I caught the bus, because I don’t drive into Toronto anymore, as it’s too annoying and frustrating. So I got on the top floor of this new double-decker bus, one with seatbelts to boot, (smile) and checked out the dark, gloomy sights from ahigh up. Got into the city in about thirty five, relaxed, non-frustrating minutes. Oh by the way, every few minutes a gush of warm air would blow over me and keep me nice and toasty. (smile)
But the problem began on exiting the bus at the terminal, for the terminal is crazy, that’s the only word for it. It stretches in all directions and if you don’t know where you are going, the Lord help you. And yuh better believe He definitely helped me yesterday, because when I got into the concourse and began muttering about which direction to take, a kindly, middle aged black gentleman offered his assistance, saying that he was going my way and I could walk with him.
And was it ever a walk…Brother! It seemed like it would never end. And it’s a good thing I had put on my walking shoes. But eventually, after about ten minutes of walking, we reached where I wanted to go. Then to my surprise, after bidding me God speed, this Ghanian gentleman, Paul, said he had to go back inside, because his exit lay in another direction. Now if that wasn’t God’s doing then I don’t know what it was nuh, because he strayed from his direction to guide me to where I wanted to go. God bless you Paul.
And yuh see friends, those are the li’l things in this life, actually miracles, that we often don’t acknowledge, because as far as we are concerned miracles are big events. But not so in our God’s sight. He does hundreds of small ones in our lives everyday, and if we would only look out for them, our lives would improve so much; be much more joyful, faithful and trusting. And to make things even better, I was in and out of the hospital in about fifty minutes, with a clean bill of health, well as clean as it could be under the given circumstances, and thank the Lord I did not have to walk back to the bus terminal, but with a much shorter walk, I was able to take the train home!
So, although the day was grim-looking and grey, and although I did not want to go, and although there were a couple of disconcerting moments, the Lord, as He’s promised, took me safely there and back. Yes friends, He doesn’t promise that there will be no problems, but that He will bring us safely through them all. Please write these most reassuring words of Jesus indelibly in our hearts and minds, so that we can automatically recall them in times of need. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now that’s the gospel truth friends, but it’s not always easy to do in this evil and ungodly world. However, the more often we do it, the better we get at it. And when people appear out of the blue to help you, like happened with me yesterday, it reinforces your trust and faith in Christ. But we have to pay attention to the little, seemingly insignificant things that happen in our lives, for they are all a part of our Christian walk.
That’s why Bruh David could confidently declare in Psalm 62: ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock , and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) Yes my people, when we have the Lord God Almighty as our first line of defense, though the enemy comes against us in great numbers and some fear assaults us, we will not be terrified, because we know the awesome strength, power and faithfulness of our wonderful God!
And that’s why Bruh David repeats himself later in the psalm, but with an added warning and wise advice: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62: 6-8) Now those are what you call words of wisdom!
And for those of us who trust in God, and pour out our hearts to Him, while sincerely endeavouring to do His holy will, He showers us with rich and undeserved blessings so that we can further His name and glory. We call them our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing unless it’s declared out loud, let’s declare our Thursday Blessings out loud, so that they can take a rich and enlightening effect in our lives.
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 in these troubled times, do we ever need to get out and share those wonderful blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the little things in life…are just as important as the big ones…sometimes even more important…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a light unto my path, by His laws, by them is thy servant warned, converting the soul, courage, creativity, curse, enduring for ever, enlightening the eyes, I am the Lord that is my name, in the keeping of them is great reward, Jesus the Light of Life, living for Christ, LOVE, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, my glory will I not give to another, negative word, neither my praise to graven images, obedience to God's word, rejoicing the heart, reproofs of instruction are the way of life, sweeter also than honey, the commandment is a lamp, the commandment of the Lord is pure, the fear of the Lord is clean, the law is light, the law of the Lord is perfect, the Lord's a righteous and just judge, the statutes of the Lord are right, the sun's shining, the testimony of the Lord is sure, Thursday Blessings, thy word is a lamp unto my feet
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The sun’s shining this Thursday morning people! Glory be! Strange things do happen in this world! (smile) Yes, we haven’t seen the sun really shine without cloudy overtones for a while now. Consequently, it’s a good thing we have Jesus, the Light of Life to provide light and guidance in our often dark and dreary world. That’s why the Good Book informs and continually reminds us of these salient facts. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) What awesome and encouraging truth my brethren!
And Cousin Sol says it this way in his warning against adultery. ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And the good thing about that friends, is that it doesn’t only keep thee from the wiles and flattering tongue of a deceitful woman, (smile) but it also guides you in every aspect of life. So, whatever happens in this life you can always find an answer or good guidance in the commandments and laws of Almighty God!
How wonderful is that eh? We don’t have to run to friends and neighbours for help, but to God first in every circumstance. He might redirect us to friends and families, even foes, but it’s wisest to make Him our first avenue of help and assurance. And if we listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David on the law of God from Psalm 19, we will get a better understanding and appreciation for them.
He says: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (the drippings of the honeycomb). Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in the keeping of them is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what a true and beautiful treatise on the law of our God! Bruh David spells it out in spades for us: ‘the law is perfect’…but we all know that. (smile) Furthermore, it’s also good for ‘converting the soul’ while ‘making wise the simple.’ How powerful is that eh? The statutes of the Lord are not only right, but they rejoice the heart!
Wow! And do we ever need stuff that rejoices our hearts in these turbulent and evil times! And in addition to being perfect, the commandment of the Lord is also pure, and thus ‘enlightens the eyes.’ Meanwhile ‘the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.’ Please notice the words used so far to describe the quality of the law: perfect, pure, right and clean, while His judgements are ‘true and righteous altogether.’
Yes friends, the Lord’s a most righteous and just judge, that’s why He couldn’t simply pardon our sin without it being paid for. Justice had not only to be done, but also appear to be done. So unlike what’s currently happening in our world. Justice isn’t being done, neither is it seeming to be done, so great, powerful and doh care are the workings of the evildoers. But they will all have to deal with the Lord eventually. That’s why Bruh David warns us in Psalm 37. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
That’s gospel truth friends! But enough about evildoers, let’s go back to the goodness of God’s law. (smile) Where were we at eh, before the evildoers intruded? Oh yes, we were talking about the truth and righteousness of the Lord’s justice. And on top of all that, the Lord’s law and justice is also sweet; sweeter even than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, and thus greatly to be desired, even more so than ‘much fine gold!’
Wow! Can you believe it my fellow saints? There’s something that’s sweeter than honey and more valuable and desirable than gold? Yes, the law of our awesome, faithful, merciful, gracious and LOVING God! And why is that eh? Because the Lord expects us to live by His law, His word, His commandments, His statutes, call them what you want. But we can’t live by them unless we read and study them, then put them into action in our lives. That’s the beauty of the Word, it gives us good guidance, and as Bruh David says, it warns us of going down the wrong paths, and great rewards are to be had if we keep it.
Now how much better can life get eh? Not much really, for our amazing God provides everything we need to live this life and the one hereafter. All it takes is belief and obedience. And sadly, that’s where most of us fall down. Even when we say we believe, we don’t obey. And that’s the crux of the matter. Obedience to God and His law is everything my people! Just look at all the godly people who suffered loss because of disobedience nuh. Saul lost his kingdom. Moses didn’t set foot in the Promised Land, only saw it from afar. Bruh David lost his son with Bathsheba because of his adultery with her, and had strife within his family for ordering her husband’s death.
So, it’s obvious that we can expect some tough times if we keep disobeying the edicts of Almighty God, especially when we are trying to get rid of Him from our society. Do we think He will just lie down and play dead and allow us to get away with our sinful and criminal acts for ever? Certainly not. Remember His promise in Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)
That says it all friends! Loud and clear! The Lord God Jehovah will NEVER allow His creation to take control of His universe. I don’t know when or what it will take for us to understand that nuh. And although we’ve come so far in terms of enlightenment and learning, we still cannot save ourselves from ourselves. But we’ve gotten so proud and big for our britches that we won’t even consider the possibility that we don’t know it all, and thus cannot solve all our problems. But God can, if we would turn to Him in sincerity and true repentance, which unfortunately, doesn’t seem likely to happen soon.
But for those of us who know the truth and are sincerely working to spread it, our God has granted us awesome blessings to help in our devoted cause. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been declared out loud, let’s do just that nuh; declare our Thursday Blessings in strong and sincere voice.
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!’
Now, let’s put those blessings to work in Christ’s service, sharing them just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better in this world…than living for Christ…by His laws…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
30 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a constant state of readiness, a Sunday evening walk in the park, according to his riches in glory, and lo I am with you always, as for me and my house, be ye also ready, courage, creativity, curse, even unto the end of the world, feel it in every fibre of our being, for in such an hour as ye think not, gain the whole world and lose his soul, good friends, good health, He shall give you another Comforter, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, if any man will come after me, if god be for us who can be against us, let him deny himself, LOVE, my God will supply all your needs, negative word, Omicron variant, one days is with the Lord as a thousand years, prosper, Seasonal Affective disorder, self-control, succeed, take up his cross and follow me, the Only Begotten Son, the Son of man will come, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ Jesus, Thursday Blessings, to them who are called according to his purpose, to those who love God, watch therefore, we know that all things work together for good, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, what is a man profited, whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
John 14:18. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.
And it’s another one of those SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) inducing days, with a ballooning Omicron virus adding the finishing touches, as if we need any more problems in this already problem filled world! That’s why we need Jesus so badly in these turbulent times! Yes friends, the Only Begotten Son is the ONLY One who can promise us sustenance and succour in these ungodly times, and faithfully keep that promise.
And we need to use His Word, His promises to boost our self-confidence and help us retain our sanity. Words like: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! My God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus! If God be for us who can be against us eh? NOBODY! Yes mih bredrin, if the One and Only True Living God is for us, not a single soul can be against us! Consequently, we can then declare: ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!’
But we need to believe it all, to feel it in every fibre of our being! Especially this all-encompassing verse: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Oh, it does sound like a tough verse to believe, but it’s the basis of everything in our faith, knowing that despite the trials and tribulation we will endure in this evil world, that eventually the Lord will work it all out for our good!
Wow! What other deity can make that faithful promise eh? NONE! None whatsoever! Only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! I know that some of us unwittingly come to Christianity as an easy go, as a Sunday evening walk in the park, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth my people. Did Jesus have an easy walk in the park when He came to earth to save us from our sins and reconcile us to the Father?
Absolutely not! They gave Him a terrible time, ranging from disbelief, to slander, to physical punishment, and finally crucifixion, and anyone, who decides to take up their cross and follow Him will inevitably find struggles and possibly persecution, just like He did. Please remember these fateful words of Jesus, for they are the foundational authority to discipleship.
‘If any man will come after 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? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.’ (Matt. 16:24-27)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s what we have to look forward to if we sincerely follow Jesus. And it’s a promise that seems will be soon fulfilled the way our world is showing many of the signs Jesus gave for His second coming. But soon with us and soon with God, are too entirely different things. Peter tells us that ‘one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) Now the early church thought that Jesus would soon return, but in our view, two thousand years have passed and He’s still not come back. However, that could simply be because to the Lord that’s only two days. (smile)
But please don’t be fooled, Christ’s return could happen at any time, that’s why He warned: ‘But of that day an hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, But my Father only… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come…Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:36, 42, 44)
Oh my brethren, regardless of what signs we see or think we see, only the Father knows when the Son is going to return, that means we must be prepared, be ready for His Second Coming at any moment. That’s what those verses above are saying: ‘Be prepared!’ Are we prepared? Now that’s the big question. How many of us have set our house in order and are ready for if Jesus comes back today?
Remember they also say He can come as a thief in the night, (1 Thess. 5:2) that’s unexpectedly, at any time, day or night, today tomorrow or even another two thousand years from now. But the important thing is for believers to be in a constant state of readiness for whenever that marvellous occasion happens, because we know, are very sure, that it will happen eventually, just not exactly when.
And the wonderful thing about Jesus is that just like He promised before He went back to heaven, He has faithfully done: ‘And I shall pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever… I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:16,18) And at that first Pentecost after His ascension, (Acts 2:1-4) He did indeed send the Holy Ghost to indwell all believers, to keep us safe, to lead and guide us in the direction He desires, that is, provided we are willing to listen and abide by the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Thus my fellow saints, the ball is now in our court! And our Jesus is ever so wonderful that He’s bestowed all kinds of blessing on those who believe that they can do His earthly work. And what a potent and plentiful set of blessings they are! We call them our Thursday Blessings, and since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh.
Altogether, in 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!’
MamaYo! What a magnificent set of blessings my faithful brethren! It now behooves us to put them to work in our lives and share them with others just as generously as Jesus shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…and, lo…I am with you always…even unto the end of the world… (Matt. 28:20b)
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
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