23 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, all around God's children, an arm of flesh, are more than they that be with them, be strong and of a good courage, be ye doers of the word, belieiving, calming, curse, deceiving your own selves, Elisha prayed, encouragingly, faith, fear not, finished my course, fought a good fight, generously, gets you lazy, greater is he that's in us, guardian angels, have faith and not works, he answered, he it is that doth go before thee, he will not fail thee, Hezekiah. Sennacherib, I have kept the faith, in a loving mood, is with thee, magnificent and magnanimous God, negative word, nor forsake thee, not hearers only, open the servant's eyes, prosper, protecting us from harm, put our faith to work, rain, ravished by fear, refreshing, scriptures on encouragement, self-discipline, spake comfotably to them, success, talk without action is useless, than he that's in the world, the Lord, the Lord our God to help us, the Lord thy God, the people were strengthened, they that be with us, Thursday's Blessings, what an awesome God we serve, what doth it profit, withersoever thou goest
2 Kings 6:16. And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
And it looks like another cloudy day is in the offing in my area… Wonder if we’ll also get rain like yesterday? Ah, it’s so calming and refreshing when the rain falls – it also gets you lazy and in a LOVING mood… Now I could certainly handle that! (smile) But unfortunately we have more serious matters to attend to this Thursday morning in late July of 2020.
Now today I’ve been led to some scriptures on encouragement in times of peril and need. I guess the Lord sees our overwhelming need for encouragement and assurance in these rather turbulent and uncertain times. So here’s the first one: This from King Hezekiah when the Assyrians under Sennacherib came to do battle against Judah, in particular Jerusalem.
‘And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably (encouragingly) to them. Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves on (were strengthened by) the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.’ (2 Chr. 32:6-8)
Oh friends, those are some of the same words our God, that same God, is saying to us today in these frightful times! But are we listening? And if so, are we taking courage like the people of Jerusalem? That’s the million-dollar question! But that brings to mind another similar scripture – this time with the prophet Elisha and his servant when the King of Syria and a mighty host surrounded his house because Elisha was telling the king of Israel the secret things the king of Assyria planned against them.
Now this particular morning when Elisha’s servant went out early, he saw the host of Syrians surrounding the city, so he ran back and informed Elisha of the grave situation and said: ‘Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.’ (2 Kin. 6:15b-16) What marvellous words of encouragement, but unfortunately the servant could not see what Elisha saw. So Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the servant’s eyes. ‘And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots round about Elisha.’ (2 Kin. 6:17)
Yes my people, likewise guardian angels are constantly all around God’s children protecting us, so that we do not come to harm. But we have to believe it to see it! Are we believing it though, or are we constantly being ravished by fear and the evil schemes of the enemy? But please remember these immortal words of Bruh Paul to 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) Please my brethren, let’s root that scripture deep in our hearts and souls nuh, and let it grow and flourish to give us strong assurance in these disturbing times!
Now hear these other encouraging scriptures that our God has been telling us from day one nuh. These from Moses to his people, when he handed over the leadership of Israel to Joshua. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them (your enemies): for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) Then he called Joshua and told him the same thing.
And what I LOVE about the passing of the torch from Moses to Joshua is that the Lord Himself told Joshua the very same thing when He appointed him the official leader. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) And not a word of that has changed down to this day my people! So why are we so afraid and fearful of life eh, when we have the assurance of the greatest power in the universe on our side?
And if yuh want to tell me nonsense about all of that being in the Old Testament which doesn’t matter now – ah Lord eh – then hear Jesus’ most often used words in the New Testament: ‘Fear not!’ And hear His encouraging words: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That’s Jesus telling us the same thing in slightly different words! So what’s our excuse now for not following them eh?
Ah mih people, we just like to talk yes! And we must talk some, but all talk without any action is useless. That’s why James, Jesus’ brother wrote these oh so truthful words: ‘But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves…. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?… Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 1:22; 2:14,17) And yes faith does save our souls like Bruh Paul says, but what’s the point of having faith if you don’t put it to work eh?
That’s exactly what Bruh Paul did too. As he told Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith:’ (2 Tim. 4:7) That meant he had done what the Lord called him to do; preach the gospel to the Gentiles; he had put his faith in God to work, and we all know the numerous trials and tribulations he went through to do it. But the Lord saw him through it all…and so will He with us if we are strong and courageous, if we put our faith to work.
And He’s so magnificent and magnanimous that He’s showered us with numerous blessings, to enable us to do just that! What an awesome God we serve my people! So as we go home now, let’s declare (awright!) some of those wonderful characteristics, what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can empower them in our lives.
All together 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 everyday! Amen!’
And having proclaimed them, it’s time to go out and put them to good use now… generously too! (smile) Much LOVE!
…greater is He that is in us…than he that is in the world… (1 John 4:4)
16 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-given right, a happy wife, a result of external circumstances, a state of being from within, abundant life, attitude of joy, be lighthearted, bless His people, come to Christ, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, do it with thy might, drink thy wine with a merry heart, eat thy bread with joy, empty life, enjoy life, eternal life, evil schmes, fullness of joy, go thy way, God approves of the enjoyment of life, God now accepteth thy works, have a good life, he joy of the lord is your strength, in the grave, in the name of Jesus, Jesus, laugh, leads to a happy life, listened attentively, listening love, live joyfully, lustful desires, magnanimous god, negative word, never guide or lead you astray, new motivation, obey His will and word, promotion, receive Christ as Saviour, steal our joy, supernatural wisdom, the best pilot, the honest work of thy hands, the life of thy vanity, the Preacher, the wife whom thou lovest, there is no work, Thursday Blessings, thy garments be always white, thy head lack no ointment, troubled times, under the sun, whoever has the Son has life
Ecclesiastes 9:7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Oh friends, oh friends, thank you ever so much for your prayers on Listening LOVE yesterday! Wow! The duchess and I shared some of it on the A/C problem. She talked… I listened – attentively! (smile) Then I did what she wanted – not turn the A/C as low as I had originally intended. Yuh see it works! That’s why they say: ‘A happy wife, usually leads to a happy life!’ Usually yes, but not all the time. (smile)
Ah mih people, it’s such a joy to be able to laugh and be lighthearted amidst all the sickness, death and confusion that’s currently besieging our world. But you can only do that sincerely when you have Jesus truly running your life, because you are assured that He’s the best pilot there is and He would NEVER guide or lead you astray. Thus, I am asking all of us who sincerely believe in Christ to take life seriously, but please overlay it with that attitude of joy which can only be found in Christ Jesus, especially in troubled times like these.
It’s that inherent joy that sets us apart from the rest of the world. As the Good Book says: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) And that’s why the enemy always tries to steal our joy first and foremost, because he knows that once he gets us down and depressed, we’re weak and very vulnerable, and thus easily influenced by his evil schemes and lustful desires. But please, let’s remember that our God is a God of joy, of laughter and mirth.
Hear these memorable words of Moses to the Israelites when he told them about bringing their first fruits to God. ‘And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.’ (Deut. 26:11) Yes friends, our God wants us to enjoy ALL that’s He’s given to us or allowed us to have. He is not a mean, incentive, scrooge-like deity, but a most generous and magnanimous God, desiring to bless his people, when they obey His Will and Word.
That’s why Cousin Sol, the Preacher said in these Principles for Living. ‘Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment (oil). Live joyfully (enjoy life) with the wife whom thou LOVEST all the days of the life of thy vanity (empty life), which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest (performest) under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:7-10)
What wisdom my people! No wonder Cousin Sol was known as the wisest man ever. And the scholars explain those scriptures thus: ‘9:7-10. For the first time in the passages on enjoyment, the key words of the exhortation are put into the imperative mood; eat, drink, live, and so on. Also, a new motivation is expressed: God now accepteth thy works (vs.7), meaning clearly that God approves of the enjoyment of life. His will is that men enjoy life.
The idea of enjoyment is further reiterated in verse 8 with two directives. White garments on the body and ointment on the head made life more comfortable in the torrid near Eastern climates; they serve here to symbolize purity (cf. Rev. 3:4) and the enjoyment of life. Another command concerns the enjoyment of life with one’s wife (vs.9). The reasons for these commands are: It is man’s portion in this life (vs.9), and there is no working in the grave (vs.10).’
So there is no reason for us not to enjoy our earthly life. Remember Jesus’ memorable words: ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And what does ‘abundant life’ mean eh? Wikipedia says it ‘refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for mind, body and soul.’ Another website explains: ‘Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Saviour, and goes on throughout all eternity.’
Another website breaks it down as ‘knowing God,’ ‘First John 5:12 says “Whoever has the Son has life,” so Christians have this eternal life from the moment of salvation.’ And it’s also ‘a continuous process. Like salvation, we are given abundant life at the moment of salvation, but we will grow into it.’
And finally another website describes the abundant life as ‘a state of being from within, not a result of external circumstances. It is the result of the pruning God does to make us more like Him, and it is what we will take to heaven with us. (1 Cor. 3:11-15). An abundant life is one that keeps on giving. Which is Better – Abundance or an Abundant Life?’ Now that’s a very good question! And I do hope that all of us will answer that the latter is oh so much better. (smile)
So however we define it friends, Christ came to earth and died not only to pay for our sins, but also that we might have a good life beginning right here on MOTHER EARTH! We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to start enjoying life. Please, let’s remember that nuh and perk up and wear a smile and have a pleasant attitude despite all our problems, for we claim to have a Saviour who can do anything and also enable us to do anything, so let’s live like it’s true and we believe it nuh!
Ah mih people, I had some other things to say yes, but I got sidetracked with the abundant life story, or the Lord led me to hone in on it. Take your pick. (smile) So let’s go home now declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do His work. In strong voice, with sincere hearts:
‘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 those blessings have been given to us for a troubled time such as this, so please, let’s go out and share them just as generously as we received them! Much LOVE!
…enjoy the honest work of thy hands…it is thy God-given right…
09 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a god of judgement, a jealous God, a positive outlook, a strong will, bark but no bite, blessed are they who wait for Him, compassionate heart, confusion, curse, disobedience, don't seek advice from God, earthly hell, encouragement, fear not, have not asked at my mouth, he will be exalted, hearing the Holy Spirit, His Holy word, humiliation, I will not give my glory to another, in the name of Jesus, merciful God, my advice, negative word, not of my spirit, our enemy, pay a great price, righteous desires, roaring like a lion, Satan's futile efforts to defeat Jesus, saying this is the way, self-discipline, share generously, take counsel but not of me, that he may be gracious unto you, the best place for help, the bread of adversity, the devil, the earth is the Lord's, the Lord God Almighty, the Lord made us for Himself, the Lord will wait, the water of affliction, thine ears shall hear a word, Thursday Blessings, time of sickness and strife, to be His people, toothless gums, trust in the shadow of Egypt, utter disregard for the Lord, walk ye in it, we're not listening, when ye turn to the left, when ye turn to the right, whispering in our souls, woe to the rebellious children
Isaiah 30:21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right, and when ye turn to the left.
Oh precious people, our enemy the devil is still out there roaring like a false lion with his toothless gums, and sadly, many of us are listening to him, and becoming anxious and afraid about all that’s currently going down. But I’m here to tell us on this sunny Thursday morning that all he has is bark and NO bite! The only way he can really harm us is if we give him that power. But please remember Jesus’ most often used words, were ‘FEAR NOT!’ And as His followers that’s what is expected of us.
And we all know it’s harder said than done, so we need some encouragement, and today we’re going to turn to the best place for help, the Lord God Almighty – where else eh? Isaiah appealed to his people Israel to turn to the God of their forefathers after they had stopped relying on Him and were turning to Egypt for help. Hear these words re the futility of relying on anyone else but the Lord, and please do not let them fall on deaf ears.
‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering (devise plans, weave a web), but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth (my advice); to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion (humiliation). (Is. 30:1-3)
Oh friends, rather unwisely, that is the very same thing we have done. We have turned to various other gods and idols and seek advice from everywhere else except from the Lord God Jehovah. To the point that we are trying to get rid of Him from the society He created. What utter foolishness! Do you think He’ll allow us to just throw Him out without a fight? I guess so, otherwise we wouldn’t be trying to win an unwinnable battle. It resembles Satan’s futile efforts to defeat Jesus over the battle for hell, death and the grave! Jesus came out victorious with the keys to all of Satan’s dominions! And so will the Lord God Jehovah, despite our best efforts to annihilate Him from our society; His creation!
It’s also obvious that we don’t believe what He says. Remember He says in the Ten Commandments that He is a jealous God. (Ex. 20:5) And the same thing is mentioned all through the Old Testament. Remember when He was heartbroken because his special people Israel desired a human king like all the other nations? (1 Sam. 8) Yes friends, the Lord made us for Himself; to be His people, to fellowship with Him, for Him to be our God, and anytime we desire to change that, we WILL get some kind of opposition from Him.
Thus says He: ‘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 should tell us ALL we need to know, but it obviously doesn’t. So we keep on trying to uproot God from our midst and are now suffering serious adversity, the consequences of our ungodly behaviour, like Israel did back then. And like Isaiah did, so am I appealing to us to turn back to Him in these rough and unprecedented times, for He is indeed the ONLY ONE who can get us out of this earthly hell in which we’re now totally ensconced.
Hear these words: ‘And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:20-21) Oh my people, are we hearing the Holy Spirit whispering in our souls, actively seeking to show us the right way? That’s what He’s there for. And I know He’s sincerely doing His thing, but apparently we’re not listening, for we’re going in the wrong direction; away from God, rather than towards Him.
Oh friends, hear this other verse from just before nuh. ‘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)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for Him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God. The reference to the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction shows that God teaches us lessons through circumstances when we will not listen to our teachers who call us to walk in the way (i.e. the way of God).’
Oh my people, there’s absolutely no doubt that our great and merciful God is trying to teach us some very useful lessons right now in these times of much sickness and strife! But are we conscious of that though? And if we are, are we learning anything from it? For all of our sakes, and those of our descendants, I do hope so, otherwise we’ll pay a great price for our disobedience and utter disregard for the Lord, His Holy Word and righteous desires for our lives.
But for those of us who are aware, and sincerely trying to learn those lessons, let’s go home now declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously and graciously bestowed upon us to help those who need it. So in strong belief, as one 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, let’s go and share them very generously, for this is the time; that of sickness and strife, for which we were made and so blessed! Much LOVE!
…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fullness thereof…
02 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong will, abundance, actions, behind the eight ball, blameless, brought into closer harmony, by virtue of your realtionship, call upon the name of Jesus Christ, called to be saints, come behind in no gift, compassionate heart, confirmed in you, curse, fellowship of Christ, from God our Father, from the Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful, God's expectations, grace, grace be unto you, he who sows in peace, in all knowledge, in all parts of the universe, in everything, in the name of Jesus, indisputable truth, lifestyle, made holy, magnanimous gifts, magnificent, negative word, peace, personal experience, positive outlook, prayer, prayer-lives, prosper, reap an abundant harvest of grace, refreshing and encouraging words, right relationship with God, self-control, success, talent, the Lord's word is never late, the testimony of Christ, the throne of God, them that are snctified, Thursday Blessings, unmerited favour, unto the church of God, ye are enriched by him
1 Corinthians 1:3. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes friends, it was indeed a late one, after five, and you know it’s not easy getting up with a mature body like mine, (smile) and then I had to do a couple of things before I got started, so we’re way behind the eight ball this morning. But not to worry, the Lord’s Word is NEVER late, it might be a bit tardy in our estimation, but in reality, it’s NEVER late! And now that we’ve made that crystal clear, (smile) let’s get right into the heart of the matter; prayer, the refreshing and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth, words that have stood the test of time and are ever so valuable to us in our current time of desperate need.
So Lord, I pray that ‘Unto the church of God, in all parts of the universe, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:’ (1 Cor. 1:2) That applies to us my people! We are numbered amongst the saints of Christ, and corporate prayer, prayer for the entire church, ought to be a most important aspect of our prayer lives.
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:2. Sanctified in Christ Jesus could be rendered “made holy by virtue of your relationship with Christ Jesus.” Here Paul has special reference to the Corinthians’ right relationship with God. They are set apart for God’s special use. His aim in the epistle is to bring the Corinthians’ actions and lifestyle into closer harmony with God’s expectations for those He has made His own.’
Ah my people, ALL of that applies to us today too! Through our belief in Christ Jesus, we’ve also been made holy and set aside for God’s personal purpose, but our relationship with him needs to be improved a whole lot. Our actions and lifestyle definitely need to be brought into closer harmony with His high expectations of us. We’re way below what’s expected of us, and that’s not a good sign.
However, as Bruh Paul continues: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf (concerning you), for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind (short) in no gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 1:3-8)
Please note my brethren that Bruh Paul doesn’t just pray for the people of Corinth to have wealth etc. but more to be filled with the grace and knowledge of God so that they can live up to the principles of the gospel that they have received. And believe me in these trying and ungodly times it’s grace and knowledge that we need more than ever to stand up for the gospel and promulgate it all over the world, which is our bounden duty!
Hear the explanation the scholars offer on the verses above. ‘1:3. Grace…and peace: In the former, Paul contemplates all that is understood by God’s gracious unmerited favour as it is extended to sinners. The latter has in mind benefits that fall from the exercise of God’s LOVE.’ Oh my people, those two things, grace and peace and are ever so much more important than wealth and power, and in several of the epistles that’s what Bruh Paul prays for his readers to have. And I believe that should also be a big part of our prayers too.
‘1:7. While gift has a wide variety of meanings, here it probably has reference to spiritual gifts, a theme developed later in the epistle.’ ‘1:8. Confirm (strengthen, establish, make firm): Historically, the gospel has been confirmed on them. Now they anticipate the prospect of that blessed event when Jesus Christ shall also confirm them blameless before the throne of God.’ Ah faithful saints in Christ, that is the exact position in which we find ourselves. The gospel has been confirmed in us, as indisputable truth, and now we too are waiting for the final revelation of Jesus when He brings it all into reality!
And I like how Bruh Paul ends his greeting with words of assurance: ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor. 1:9) Now that’s something we can also hold on to in these disturbing and dangerous times… ‘God is faithful!’ And plenty of us can testify to that from personal experience, so why don’t we exhibit it more in our daily lives eh?
Anyway, listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘1:9. Unto the fellowship of his Son: The term “fellowship” includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers had been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this this epistle.’
And believe my brethren, just like the church at Corinth, today’s church is too divided and dysfunctional over too many petty and ungodly matters. And we desperately need to come into much better communion with each other if we’re going to serve our earthly purpose(s) with diligence and excellence. I don’t think any of us can doubt that fact with a sincere heart. But nonetheless, for those of us who are truly trying, let’s go home declaring (oh no!) our Thursday Blessings; the magnificent and magnanimous gifts the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, so that we can do His work down here.
All together 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 everyday! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and share them generously but safely! Much LOVE!
…he who sows in peace…shall reap an abundant harvest of grace…
25 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brain cramp, a positive outlook, acknowledged his faults, at a low ebb, beat his chest, because of his importunity, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, extolled, faith, favour, God's faithfulness, God's uncoditional love, he spake a parable unto them, insight, instant in prayer, invaluable help, lose heart, negative word, never to leave nor forsake us, not to faint, perseverance, persist in supplication, Pharisee, piety, pray, pray without ceasing, praying always, pride and contempt, prosper, publican, reinforces the promise, rejoicing in hope, religious efforts, share generously, success, tax collector, testimony, that men ought to pray, the perseverance of believers in prayer, Thursday Blessings, to this end, true believers, understanding, unjust judge, wrong attirude
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
One more morning, one more beautiful day! Another beautiful morning, has come our way!’ Yes friends, it is a beautiful, sunshiny, cool day in my neighbourhood! Glory to God! Oh yes, we ought to give Him much thanks and praise for every new day we see, especially if it’s a beautiful day, because that simply reinforces the promise we hold of His great and unconditional LOVE for us! And all God’s people declared (steups! – couldn’t wait until the end to misspell it – smile) a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
And it also means that regardless of whatever situations or circumstances we face today, we will have His invaluable help to successfully solve them, as He has also promised never to leave nor forsake us! Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren! And before we go on, let me apologize for a mistake yesterday, re ‘inciteful explanation of the scholars.’ I don’t know if it was just a typo or a brain cramp, (smile) but I really meant ‘insightful,’ to give you greater insight and understanding into the matter – although, come to think about it now, rousing your spirits and stirring you up wasn’t a bad idea either. (smile)
And if you think our God isn’t a responsive and considerate God, but also one with a sense of purpose and of humour, then listen to this testimony. Yesterday evening I was somewhat under the weather, and I couldn’t understand why I was feeling so lousy and my spirits were at a low ebb, so obviously I went to the Father seeking some understanding. And after communing for a while, you won’t believe the scripture He led me to. The opening verse of Luke 18. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I read it. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’
Then Jesus told them of the unjust judge who refused to listen to the hurt widow, but for her continually bothering him. (Luke 18:2-8) And then he followed that up with the tale of the Pharisee and publican (tax collector) who went into the temple to pray and how the hypocritical Pharisee beat his chest and extolled his religious efforts, while the publican would not even lift up his head but sincerely acknowledged his faults. (Luke 18:9-14) Now here are some ‘insightful’ explanations from the scholars on those passages, which I expect us to read. (smile)
‘18:1-14. These verses teach on prayer, a prominent emphasis in Luke.’ ’18:1. To faint “means to lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ ‘18:6-8. If an unjust judge acts in this way, how much more hope may God’s children place in God? However, the issue is not God’s faithfulness. It is whether believers will persist in supplication (vs.7), or whether their patience and perseverance will give out by the time Christ finally returns (vs. 8; see also vs.1).’
‘18:9-14. Here is a parable with special application to ancient or modern Pharisees. Jesus teaching method was generally direct rather than evasive.’ Yes friends, Jesus didn’t mince words, or pussy-foot around the problem. He came straight to the point. And for this next explanation, I think I should spell out the verse. As the Pharisee beats his chest, he declares: ‘I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’ (Luke 18:12) And the scholars explain. ‘18:12. This is not an exaggeration, but an example of how Pharisees truly exceeded the letter of the law in their piety. But their pride and contempt for others reveals their state of heart.’
Oh friends, unfortunately that sad picture resembles so many of us believers today! We have this pious and righteous outlook, but our hearts are filled with envy and pride and contempt for our fellow man because we think we’re so holy and righteous, which is the wrong attitude for true believers to have.
But coming back to our focal point; the perseverance of believers in prayer, Jesus also spoke of it earlier on when He tells about the friend coming to another friend’s door late at night looking for food to feed an unexpected late arriving guest. And the friend doesn’t get up and give him because he is a friend, ‘yet because of his importunity (perseverance) he will rise and give him as many ae he needeth.’ (Luke 11:8)
And the scholars explain. ‘11:8. The word translated importunity probably describes the man’s persistence. Jesus is, then, giving an example of prevailing prayer. (see 18:1) The same word does lend itself to a second interpretation. It may refer, not to the petitioner, but to the one being petitioned. In this case the lesson would be that God, because of His desire to uphold His good name, grants the requests of those who seek Him, as a means of bearing witness to his own character and power.’ Yeh friends, however you look at it, once we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, persistent prayer ought to become the mainstay of our lives from then on!
Several other Bible verses maintain that, many of them from Bruh Paul. For instance: ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12) And hear this to the Ephesians: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) Yes mih people, even with God’s armour on, (Eph. 6:13-17) we still need to pray for us to achieve victory! And we’ll end with this well known verse to the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing!’ (1 Thess. 5:17) Short and to the point.
And if there was ever a time for steadfast and sincere prayer, this time of pandemic and unrest is it! So let’s take all that we’ve read today to heart nuh and keep praying. But today’s last prayer is one of thanksgiving, thanksgiving for all the blessings the Lord has so generously poured out on us to do His earthly work. Let’s declare then, in strong voice with sincere hearts, our Thursday Blessings Prayer.
‘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 the onus is on us to go out and share those marvellous blessings with others, just as generously as God has shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…to pray…to pray…and yet still…to pray…
18 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a hiding place from the wind, a king shall reign in righteousness, a man shall be, a positive outlook, a shelter from the tempest, be glad in it, beat their swords into plowshares, brought low in humiliation, carnally minded, cause them to stumble, compassion, confusion and every evil work, curse, divine protection, dwell in a peaceable habitation, envying and strife, favour, fruitful field, full of mercy and good fruits, give thanks, God's LOVE, greet another beautiful day, is sown in peace, keep my coomandments, learn war anymore, lenght of days, let's rejoice, long life, mercies, moral discernment, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, negative word, nothing shall offend them, of them that make peace, peace, princes shall rule in judgement, prosper and succeed, quietness and assurance for ever, reap in peace, rivers of water in a dry place, selfishly store, shall be low in a low place, shall be peace, shall they add to thee, share generously, sow in love, spiritually minded, the effect of righteousness, the fruit of righteousness, the spirit be poured on us from on high, the things of the flesh, the things of the Spirit, the tongue of the stammerers, the wisdom that is fom above, the work of the righteous, their spears into pruninghooks, they which love thy law, Thursday Blessings, understand knowledge, without hypocrisy, without partiality
Isaiah 32:17. And the work of the righteous shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
So we greet another beautiful day with God’s LOVE, mercies and compassion! What a wonderful God He is; let’s rejoice, give thanks and be glad in it! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Amen! So let it be!’ Yes, the pandemic sickness and strife is still going on, possibly getting worse, but I have some good news for those of us who keep our focus on God, make him our number one priority, seek his kingdom and righteousness before anything else. And the good news is the coming reign of the righteous king.
Isaiah saw it thus: ‘Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgement (justice). And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert (shelter) from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.’ (Is. 32:1-4)
Oh my people, of course this has not happened as yet, otherwise our world would not be in such a disastrous state, but I assure us, it will happen one day, and possibly sooner than we think or expect. Isaiah foresees life to be pretty rough; ‘Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of the righteous shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure (secure) dwellings, and in quiet resting places; When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place (brought low in humiliation). Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.’ (Is. 32:15-20) Yes faithful saints of Christ, one day it will be all right with our world. And in all the current tumult, you ask a nervous and expectant, WHEN? Unfortunately, I don’t know. Only our heavenly Father knows, for He’s set the times and places in His wisdom.
But listen to how the scholars explain all of that scripture nuh. ‘32:1-20. The king who shall reign in righteousness is Christ Himself. The prophet foresees a time when government will exist that is totally characterized by righteousness and judgement (justice). Such a description does not fit even Hezekiah, the best of Judah’s kings. Rather, Isiah sees a much greater day coming when the godly character of Judah will be as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. This will be a time when the ignorant will understand knowledge (da‘at, moral discernment). He also sees a time of complete national conversion when the spirit will be poured upon us (cf. Joel 2:28).’
And the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, where it was made available to all mankind, already occurred on the day of Pentecost, but the rest is yet to come. And since we know that all God’s promises are true, we wait patiently and expectantly, we persevere until He decides it’s time for the Millennial kingdom to come. Now let’s see what that day of the Lord shall look like nuh. Isaiah says: ‘And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ (Is. 2:4)
I know friends that we’re all waiting impatiently for that awesome day! (smile) Hear how Bruh Paul characterizes life in the Spirit world and God’s kingdom nuh. ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom. 8:5-6) And later on he declares: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.’ (Rom. 14:17-18)
Meanwhile James puts it this way. ‘For where envying and strife (self-seeking) is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated (willing to yield), full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:16-18) And Cousin Sol adds his two cents worth: ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2)
And finally, the psalmist tells us: ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them (cause them to stumble).’ (Ps. 119:165) It’s all God’s Word, so it has to be true, and if we’re wise and are God’s children as we claim, then we’ll follow it and proclaim peace all across the land! Now let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings, the wonderful blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us to do that work here on earth.
Altogether, in strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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 please remember, those blessings are not for us to selfishly store, but for us to share with others, just as the Lord has generously shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…sow in LOVE…reap in peace…
11 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a cup of cool water, a rushing mighty wind, bloodwork, cloven tongues of fire, curse, divine protection, ever-flowing never-ceasing stream, faith, favour, give an account, gives us a solid confidence, he that believeth on me, he that cometh to me, I cried out to the Lord for help, in a funk, knewest the gift of God, lift up our faith, living water, miracles of feeding, negative word, no evil will befall us, of the water I shall give, on judgement day, One Year Book of Bible promises, out of his belly shal flow, paradox, Pentecost, positive outlook, rivers of living water, Samaritan woman, selfishly hoard, shall be in him a well of water, shall never hunger, shall never thirst, share generously, spiritual and eternal life, springing up into eternal life, the Holy Ghost, the water I give, threw me off kilter, Thursday Blessings, under Christ's protective umbrella, we're in good hands, When I am with you, whosoever drinks
John 4:14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into eternal life.
Ah friends, the ole fella’s in a bit of a funk here this Thursday morning. Why is that you wonder? Well I had to get up early to go out the street to do some bloodwork and that just threw me off kilter. I was there at 7.40, and there were already six people before me. And with the all Covid-19 rigmarole, the process doesn’t move as quickly as it once did. Then to make matters worse, they took eight, yes eight vials of blood from me all at once! No wonder I’m sort of loose and woozy in the head! (smile) But I surely am thankful that I don’t do this blood work thing as often as before. Thanks to Covid yes!
And in my funk, I cried out to the Lord for help, and He led me to this ever so appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, aptly titled: ‘When I Am with You.’ Please declare it with me friends. ‘When I am with You, Lord It is as though I were given A cup of cool water Dipped from An ever-flowing Never-ceasing stream. The water glistens As a piece of clear ice Tingles against The side of my cup. I want to drink More And more And more As though I could Never drink enough – And yet while I drink I am satisfied Completely. What a strange and beautiful Paradox!’
Ah mih fellow saints in Christ, that sure is paradoxical! Yuh drinking and drinking, yuh satisfied, but yuh still feel to drink more and more, because the water is so cool and refreshing and satisfying, as the old people would say, it ‘moreish’ (smile) yuh just can’t get enough of it! And that’s because the water Jesus gives us to drink is different to earthly water. As He told the Samaritan woman at the well. ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into eternal life.’ (John 4:13-14)
Friends, Jesus gives LIVING WATER: that of the Holy Spirit. Listen to Him earlier on in His conversation with the woman, when He asked her for a drink and she was dumbfounded because Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.’ (John 4:10)
And hear Him again on the subject of living water: ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:37-38) There Jesus was referring to passages from Isaiah like 44:3 and 55:1, where the Lord promised to supply spiritual water to His chosen people Israel. And as the Good Book continues: ‘(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)’ (John 7:39)
Yes friends, the Holy Ghost that finally came like a rushing mighty wind and cloven tongues of fire at Pentecost, is Christ living and dwelling in us to give us continuous spiritual water to slake our thirsty souls. Without it we won’t last very long in this dark and evil world. And furthermore, when talking to the people about physical bread, which they were seeking from Him after seeing Him perform the miracles of feeding thousands with a few loaves of bread. ‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35)
Jesus was saying that He was the bread that gave life; spiritual and eternal life. Oh how I wish that more of us believed His words and turned to Him in all sincerity, so that we could get that eternal living water and the bread of everlasting life! They are ever so important my brethren, especially in these trying and very troubled times. Because they lift up our faith and give us a solid confidence that we’re in good hands, and that no evil will befall us, once we’re under Christ’s protective umbrella. And that’s all we really need in this life yes!
So let’s go home now declaring (Steups!) our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has magnanimously showered down on us to do His earthly work. All together now in strong voice, with sincere hearts. ‘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!’
Now, please remember, that those are tools for us to work with, to generously share with others, not to selfishly hoard for ourselves. And we’d better had share them generously, for come the judgement day, we’ll have to account for what we did with all that we were given. Much LOVE!
…bread and water are essential…for both physical and spiritual lives…and both can best be had from Jesus…
04 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of constant lies, a live coal in his hand, a man of unclean lips, a positive outlook, according as his work shall be, amidst a people of unclean lips, behold I come quickly, Blessed is he, blessed with success, childish inanity, chose our words and action very carefully, Christ's Second Coming, compassionate heart, curse, darkness can never dispel light, divine protection, err, glory to God, great family, hard cold facts of life, hit the nail on the head, keepeth the sayings of the prophecy, my reward is with me, negative word, no legitimate excuse, one of the seraphim, promotion, protect power, Robert Hendrickson, the Holy Spirit, thine iniquity is taken away, this hath touched thy lips, Thursday Blessings, thy sin is purged, to do the impossible, to give to every man, trying in vain, trying to vanquish, unwisely bask in the infamy, wanna be U.S. dictator, what a sorry excuse for a leader, wisdom
Revelation 22:12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
And contrary to the last few days, this Thursday morning in my area has opened bright and sunshiny! Glory to God! There’s not a dark cloud in the sky trying to vanquish the pretty blue ones, unlike our strife filled world where the powers of darkness are fighting madly to overturn the powers of light. Hn! Hn! But has no one ever told them the hard, cold facts of life; that darkness can NEVER dispel light, no matter how hard it tries? Obviously not, else they would not still be trying in vain to do the impossible.
And here’s something that ties in rather nicely with those statements. It’s something a friend sent me yesterday. The Prologue reads: ‘Not gonna lie. I did not expect the read of the year to come from a Priest.’ And whether you agree or not, that’s up to you. But this is apparently what Robert Hendrickson, the Rector of Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church wrote.
‘…waving a book he hasn’t read, in front of a church he doesn’t attend, invoking laws he doesn’t understand, against fellow Americans he sees as enemies, wielding a military he dodged serving, to protect power he gained via accepting foreign interference, exploiting fear and anger he LOVES to stoke, after failing to address a pandemic he was warned about, and building it all on a bed of constant lies and childish inanity.’
Oh friends, isn’t that a very precise and exact description of our current wanna be U.S. dictator? What a sorry excuse for a leader! I certainly think the pastor has hit the nail on the head in every direction. But we’re all entitled to our opinions, so I won’t try to force mine on you. (smile)
Ah mih people, too often we attempt to rise to heights of power we don’t understand and we simply cannot handle. And unfortunately, those around us are either too foolish or scared to tell us otherwise, choosing instead to unwisely bask in the infamy that arises from the tarnished and destructive situations and conditions that our unbridled lust for power create. That reminds me of this passage from Isaiah, after he had seen the vision of Almighty God sitting on His heavenly throne:
‘Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ (Is. 6:5) Oh friends, how I wish that many more of us would see the King, and declare like Isaiah, because we are a people of unclean lips! There’s no doubt about that. We have no legitimate excuse for the sinful, irresponsible and disobedient way we talk and act.
And do we ever need to be consecrated like Isaiah! ‘Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.’ (Is. 6:6-7) Yes fellow saints, many of us do need a hot coal on our lips to improve our talk and thoughts.
Oh, I know that we now have the Holy Spirit living in us to do that job, but it’s not working, for gentle persuasion doesn’t seem to be our thing. (smile) We only seem to understand and appreciate an undesirable situation when physical pain is involved, like the hot coal on the lips. But what can I say eh? We all will have to individually account for our words and actions come the judgement day, so it would be wisdom to the nth degree if we chose our words and actions very carefully from now on.
And who knows how much time we have before that fateful day eh? NONE of us! But from the Good Book we do know that the revelation from God to John is true, and that Christ Himself said: ‘Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Revelation).’ (Rev. 22:7) So it’s imperative that RIGHT NOW, we begin preparation for His Second Coming! For He also said: ‘And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’
So again, Christ declares His imminent coming, this time with His rewards, which will depend on our work. So once more, wisdom decrees that if we want to be amongst the risen with Christ, then we need to genuinely believe in and on Him, keep His commandments and for great rewards, do good work! End of sermon!
And our God is so wonderful, so magnificent and magnanimous, that He’s already shared some rewards with those of us who are serious about doing His earthly bidding; we call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s all invoke them in strong voice with sincere hearts now 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!’
So let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously as the Lord shares them with us. No, I shouldn’t have to remind us of that, but anyway, I’m going to err on the side of caution. (smile) Please have a blessed day, walking hand in hand with Christ! Much LOVE!
…if you sincerely believe…then your lifestyle ought to show it…
28 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, Abide in me, always an empty space in our souls, brain storm the problem, come before His presence, comfort, cool down the heat, creativity, curse, didn't lose my joy, each empty space, ecstasy, ecstasy of soul, enter into his gates, faith, fell behind, frail and fragile, greedy, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth, hungry heart, I am the vine, joy, LOVE, make a joyful noise, mortal selves, mundane days, needed batteries, negative word, Newborn Ecstasy, not sufficient of ourselves, nourish the parched ground, obedient to God's will, open up our hearts and souls, our sufficiency is of God, power hungry, prosper, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, serve the Lord with gladness, shout joyfully, success, successfully navigate, thanksgiving, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, Thursday Blessings, toss this coronavirus aside, until we come to Christ, unto the Lord, walking the straight and narrow path, with singing, without me, worked like a charm, ye are the branches, ye can do nothing
Psalm 100:1. Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth).
Well it’s not as bright and sunshiny in my area as it’s been the last several days; it’s somewhat cloudy… And we could really use some rain, to cool down the heat and nourish the parched ground. But we’ll just have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind for our area. And on that computer problem I encountered halfway through writing the Bit yesterday morning, it’s been fixed. And I have to laugh because it was a simple problem; my keyboard needed batteries. Hn!
And it was actually one of the first things I thought of when the problem occurred, but for some reason I never followed up on it, and even later in the night when my young D and I were trying to brain storm the problem, that never occurred to either of us. It’s only when I contacted the support department which suggested it, that I remembered that possibility. And as soon as the new batteries were put in, the computer worked like a charm.
Oh, the ways the enemy finds to get into our hearts, bodies and souls and disrupt our lives eh! But thankfully, he didn’t make me lose my joy, but nonetheless I fell behind in all the stuff I had planned to do yesterday. And I guess in his books that is still a win. (smile) But yuh know what? We are not going to let the ole geezer disturb our peace today, because we’re going to be talking about ‘Newborn Ecstasy!’ found in a poem in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
So please pray with me: ‘O Lord, When I resolve to come to You Amid the chunks and cracks Of all my mundane days – When I resolve to listen Really listen to Your gentle voice Suddenly I know anew That you are life And life is joy! Like a singing brook Joy splashes over All the common “dailies” Until each empty space Of my hungry heart Is touched with newborn ecstasy.’
Oh friends, it is indeed when we walk sincerely with the Lord, are obedient to His will that we find true ecstasy! Yes, it’s not always easy walking the straight and narrow path, but you can bet your bottom dollar that as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘Your worst day with Jesus is better than your best day without Him!’ Glory be! And isn’t that the gospel truth! Oh brother, you all just went and got the ole fella excited and now he can’t control the excitement. (smile) So let’s continue being excited in the Lord nuh, for there’s nothing better than that! And we’ll show that excitement by reciting, singing or whatever way you choose, Psalm 100; a psalm of praise or thanksgiving.
It’s also the Bible verse used for our poem above. So let’s go nuh: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves (his we are); we are his people, and the sheep of is pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:1-5)
Wow mih people! What encouraging words of indisputable truth! It’s only when we worship the mighty and merciful Lord God Jehovah, come before Him with praise and thanksgiving that our souls experience real joy, real ecstasy! That truly euphoric state cannot be experienced in any other way! So let’s try and open up our hearts and souls to Him today…and everyday nuh. When He comes knocking let’s allow strong and overwhelming faith to run to the doors of our hearts and joyfully greet Him! Then open our whole body and soul to Him, so that He can fill us with the peace, the joy, the LOVE and comfort that just naturally exudes from Him! That’s how we experience ecstasy of soul!
And consequently, we are able to successfully navigate all the storms and fires and floods and evil circumstances that this devilish world desires to inundate us with. Yes friends, wisdom and common sense dictate that we hang with the Risen Christ if we want to have enjoyable and successful lives, both here on earth and in heaven above. Please remember…better yet, let’s write these memorable words of Christ indelibly in our hearts so that we won’t ever forget them.
‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5) Mamacita! Yuh hear that mih bredrin! Jesus spells it out loud and clear: without Him, we can do NOTHING! Please, let’s keep that first and foremost in our consciousness.
And as Bruh Paul reminded the Corinthians: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) And yuh know friends, that’s our problem right there: we think too much of our blooming petty, greedy, power hungry but oh so frail and fragile, mortal selves. We believe we’re such hot shots with the li’l knowledge that we’ve acquired down through the ages, that we can now toss God, our Creator, our Deliverer and Provider aside. And very conveniently we seem to forget who made the heavens, the earth and all therein! Well let’s see us toss this coronavirus aside nuh! End of sermon!
Now for the wise ones amongst us, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, that the Lord has so generously granted us to do his earthly work. All together, in strong, voice with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
So let’s go out now, while physically distancing, and share those blessings just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s His ardent desire! Much LOVE!
…until we come to Christ…there will ALWAYS be…a lonely and empty space in our souls…
P.S. I hope you all enjoy reading this and get excited like I did while writing it. (smile) Much LOVE!
21 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, affliction on our loins, among the living, an abundant place, bless our God, blessed, caused men, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, everlasting life, figments of man's imagination, for bringing trouble, generously share, get ready to rise, give Him much honour and glory, God makes the enemy pay, healthy, help carry us through, holds our soul in life, into a wealthy place, lift our spirits, magnanimous god, man-made objects, meditate on His Word, negative word, new and heart-warming, not to hoard, promotion, prosperous, saturated with God's goodness, self-control, self-discipline, shout His praises, stay close to Jehovah God, suffers not our feet to be moved, tested, the great works of God, the Holy One of Israel, the storm is over, thou brought us out, Thursday Blessings, times of crisis, to ride over our heads, tried, uncertain, unexpected, we went through fire and water, wisdom, wonderful mercies, you'll not be defeated
Psalm 66:12. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy (an abundant) place.
Wow mih bredrin! Another bright, warm and sunshiny day like yesterday seems to be in the offing, with somewhat of a coolish breeze! (smile) Yes, it’s days like those we desperately need to lift our spirits and help carry us through these unexpected and uncertain times of crisis. And here’s some more good news this Thursday morning, from a friend on the good news trail.
‘Get ready to rise. When that storm is over, you’re not going to be defeated. You’re going to rise up, healthy, blessed, prosperous. You’re not going to look like what you’ve been through. Nobody is going to be able to tell that you went through a difficulty. What I LOVE about God is He doesn’t just bring you through the storm, He makes the enemy pay for bringing the trouble.’ Mama Mia! What a mighty, magnificent, merciful and magnanimous God we serve!
Oh friends, everyday we wake up and see another day, we ought to be ever so thankful and grateful, because it’s only through His wonderful mercies, new and heart-warming everyday, that that’s possible. We ought to rise up and sing, shout His praises, give Him much honour and glory, because He is indeed a great and generous and ever-LOVING God! Yes, without a doubt He is!
And all His children declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! For He is indeed mighty in the heavens and on the earth! Forever merciful and generous to the undeserving children of men! Amen!’
And per the encouraging news above, it’s the gospel truth, because the Good Book says it. Hear the author of psalm 66 -re the Great Works of God. ‘O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life (among the living), and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved (tested) us: thou hast tried (refined) us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy (an abundant) place.’ (Ps. 66:8-12)
Yes friends, though the Lord might allows us to be afflicted and tried and tested, His thinking is that it will always be for our betterment. And I don’t usually like some of these new fangled translations of the Bible, but in this instance I think the new translation of verse 12 above hit the nail on the head, does it real justice. It says: ‘You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us. We’ve passed through fire and flood, yet in the end you always bring us out better than we were before, saturated with your goodness. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.’
And believe me friends, there is no other God in the world who can and will do such a thing, because there is NO OTHER LIVING GOD in this whole wide world, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! All the other supposed gods are either man-made objects, or mere figments of man’s imagination. That’s why we need to stay close to Jehovah God, worship and praise and obey Him, because He holds the very breath of our lives in His mighty hand. Please remember and take sure hold of these promises through the Lord’s prophet Isaiah, as he talks about ‘The Lord, the ONLY Redeemer.’
‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is. 43:2-4)
Oh my people, our God still finds us precious and still LOVES us, and He gave His only Son for us, so there’s no doubt that He fulfills ALL of His promises. It’s therefore necessary for us to read and study and meditate on His Word, so that we can know what’s in it and be able to use it for our earthly, everyday life, and also talk to Him on a regular basis, so that He can keep us strong and completely focused on Him. But enough sermonizing for today (smile), let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
All together in strong voice, believing: ‘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 I shouldn’t need to remind us, but I will, (smile) that those glorious blessings are not for us to selfishly hoard, but to generously share with others, just like the Lord generously shared them with us! So let’s get to doing just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…walking with God…brings trials and testing…but in the end…abundance and everlasting life…
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