10 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a barren woman, all generations shall call me blessed, Bible, blessed art thou among women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, christianity, Christmas Season, deep conviction, divine understanding, duty bound, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, exalted them of low degree, faith, filled the hungry with good things, he that is mighty hath done to me great things, helpd his servant israel, her cousin Elisabeth, holy is his name, holy spirit, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, in remembrance of his mercy, inclement weather, Jesus Christ, joy, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, man's finite understanding, Mary kept all these things, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than your ways, my ways are not your ways, pondered them in her heart, regarded the low esteem of his handmaiden, sacrifices, salvation, scattered the proud, share His love with my neighbours, take u our crosses every day, the babe leaped in her womb, the house of Zacharias, the imaginations of their hearts, the Magnificat, the mother of my Lord, the rich he sent away empty, to light the way, true disciples, trust my friend Jesus, truth, wisdom, with God nothing is impossible, worry
Luke 1:46-47. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
This Tuesday morning, a couple of weeks before Christmas doesn’t give one the enthusiasm to be up and about the Father’s business, because it’s wet, cloudy and chilly, with no signs whatsoever of the sun hovering in the background. There’s even an advisory warning about fog. But despite the inclement weather, we still need to get out there and work for Jesus. Remember, to be true disciples, we need to pick up our crosses every day and bear them the way that He did His.
And in this Christmas Season, there’s nothing better to put a smile on our faces and a li’l pep in our steps than remembering all the drama, the machinations and nuances the Lord placed in the amazing story of Christ’s miraculous birth. So, let’s continue from where we left off yesterday, where the angel spoke to Mary about the birth of Jesus, and then Joseph was advised to marry her despite the very serious circumstances.
Now, what does Mary do after she gracefully informs the angel Gabriel: ‘Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38) Well the Bible tells us: ‘And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted (greeted) Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (greeting) of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation (greeting) sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. and blessed is she that (who) believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:39-45)
Oh friends, isn’t our God a great dramatist? Of course! Who else would have thrown in a li’l tidbit to Mary about her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy, knowing that it would drive Mary to seek out the hitherto barren woman? And who else would have filled Elisabeth with the knowledge of what was happening with Mary but the Holy Ghost who made His sudden appearance when Mary greeted her. What I like most about that story though is how John the Baptist leaped with joy in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s call. He knew that the mother of his cousin Jesus, the one he was coming to light the way for was nearby.
Oh my people, only our good God could make such miraculous things a reality. And who knows, if Mary had already been impregnated by the Holy Ghost, the two children might have had their own womb-based conversations. (smile) For remember, with God, nothing is impossible! Now, how is that for a story to put a smile on your face this inclement Tuesday morning eh! And since it’s all about Jesus, it must be out of the ordinary, dramatic and not always understandable by mere humans.
It’s like the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s telling us friends! Most of what God does is way beyond our finite understanding, and if were able to understand it all, then we wouldn’t have any need for a God.
And after Elisabeth’s blessing and encouragement, comes one of the most beautiful passages of scripture, one we call ‘The Magnificat.’ Joyful words mouthed by Mary that shows her deep conviction. Please read those beautiful words of divine understanding with me. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low esteem (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 2:46-55)
Now, how many teenagers today could rattle off such scriptural stuff eh? Not many, if any. And though back then the children were brought up learning and memorizing scripture from early days, we can still see the power of the Holy Ghost working in Mary as she emptied her soul before the Lord. I wonder though, if she understood right then, how hard it would be for her as her esteemed Son went through a most difficult life.
I guess that’s why having given birth to Jesus in the stable and the shepherds came and saw him and noised about all that they had heard from the heavenly host, the Bible tells us: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ (Luke 2:19) And that’s not the only time it says so. Obviously Mary was a thoughtful woman. She had to be after undergoing such extraordinary godly favour.
But on the other side of the coin, the reality of the situation, that she could do nothing about, seeing the ‘sufferation’ her fist born son had to endure, must have broken her heart several times during her lifetime. But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay while doing God’s work, the sacrifices we make, as we daily take up our crosses and follow Him.
The Bible then concludes that aspect of Mary’s story by saying, ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56) Can you imagine the conversations between those two blessed women, or those between Jesus and John the Baptist in their wombs? (smile) Remember, anything’s possible with our God!
And, having put a smile on our faces, and lifted our spirits some, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now friends, we are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without the birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas…or eventual salvation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a productive difference, a refuge in times of trouble, a very present help in trouble, all the fight is drained out of me, all them that also love his appearing, before many witnesses, Bible, christianity, confessed a good confession, courage, creativitydivine protection, curse, debilitating weakness, divine protection, do not fear, duty bound, ever merciful and lendeth, faith, favour, fellowship, fight the good fight, fight tooth and nail, firmly grasping your right hand, God is our refuge and strength, godliness, his seed begging bread, his seed is blessed, holy spirit, I am now ready to be offered, I have become your helper, I have been young and now am old, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Jesus Christ, jump to it, keep my hope stirring, lay hold on eternal life, LOVE, meekness, mercy, negative word, now, Now dear Lord now, One Year Book of Bible promises, our omnipotent omnipresent omniscient God, patience, professed a good profession, riding high, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Selah, talent, the earth be removed, The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, the mountains shake with the swelling, the righteous judge, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the time of my departure is at hand, the waters thereof roar and be troubled, they that know thy name will trust thee, thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, truth, will not we fear, wisdom
Psalm 9:9. The Lord will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And the snow fell, but not to a great extent, so that this Thursday morning in early December is not as bad as it could have been! Thanks be to God for that! And what’s on the agenda for today? A li’l something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled ‘NOW!’ And by the way, I don’t remember if I have ever shared it before, but in any case, they are all worth sharing over and over again. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘My great strong God! All the fight Is drained out of me. In my debilitating weakness I can’t even hold on to You. But Your own words Keep my hope stirring: “For I Your God Am firmly grasping Your right hand. I am saying unto you Do not fear. I have become your helper.” Now, dear Lord! Now!’
And isn’t that the way we always desire the Lord to react to our problems, with alacrity and undivided attention. And yes, sometimes when that is called for He will respond with haste, but our God is not there to jump when we call, we have the situation all wrong. The truth of the matter is that we are the ones who are supposed to jump to it when He calls.
Anyway, what does the poem tell us? Basically that our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God is always there looking out for our problems and troubles. He’s promised to help us in all situations, so we should not be afraid of whatever comes against us. And that promise found in Psalm 9 is the Bible promise for today’s writing. It says: ‘The Lord will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:9-10)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s the indisputable truth! The Lord has never, and will never abandon anyone who puts their sincere trust in Him. And Bruh David spells it out very nicely in Psalm 37 titled – Trust in the Lord, when he writes: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps. 37:23-26)
Now that’s how the Lord treats the righteous and his descendants. And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to the sons of Korah from Psalm 46 titled – Our Refuge and Strength. They open the psalm confidently proclaiming: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps. 46:1-3)
Oh my people, what powerful faith is engendered by those words! And that’s the kind of faith we believers in these ungodly and evil times need to have if we intend to make any kind of productive difference! The devil is riding high right now, but we certainly have the ability and the tools to overthrow him, if we get together and put our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to it.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy in his first epistle. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (the world’s evil); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim. 6:11-12)
Yes mih bredrin, we are expected to fight a good fight of faith, so that when our time to leave this earth comes, we can proudly say like Bruh Paul: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
What a wonderful reward awaits us in heaven my people; that crown of righteousness! But only if we keep on being righteous and fight the good fight of faith down here. And I know all of us desire to have that awesome crown, but please, let’s remember it’s not something that’s handed out willy nilly, but only to those who truly deserve it. And if we sincerely want it, then we still have some time to turn ourselves around and become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!
And the Lord in His utmost generosity has indeed given us tools to do the job He desires of us. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So please, let’s declare them now so that they can be activated. As one strong and sincere voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…to win the crown of righteousness…one must fight tooth and nail for it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a disatrous and disgraceful state, a great family, a positive outlook on life., anything praiseworthy, ashamed of my own reluctance, be with you, Bible, cannot please God, christianity, clear direction for my life, coldness, curse, destruction, died to our sins, don't desire God, duty bound, end in chaos, faith, favour, for all eternity, for the benefit of others, get thee behind me Satan, give me grace, god, good freinds, good health, holy spirit, honest, if ye then be risen with Christ, Jesus Christ, John Henry Newman, just, LOVE, lovely, lustful appetites, make me desire you, mercy, mind the things of the flesh, moral and spiritual direction of God, negative word, noble, not on things of the earth, on the right hand of God, our world is in such shambles, prayer, Prayers through the Ages, prideful things of the earth, prosper, pure, rouse me from sloth, sacred reading, salvation, seek those things which are above, set your affection on things above, shambles, snare, spend eternity in heaven, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, teach me, temptations, the God of peace, the Spirit of God dwell in you, the things of heaven, the things of the Spirit, they that after the flesh, they that are after the Spirit, think on these things, thou savourest not the things of God, to love meditation, trap, truth, whatsoever things are true, whcih must engage my mind, where Christ sits, wisdom, with my whole heart, you are dead, your life is hid with Christ in god
Colossians 3:1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
And then it was Thursday; sunny and bright, but windy and somewhat chilly, with the warm weather of the last few days disappearing, the same way it surprisingly occurred. (smile) And today we want to share an interesting and most appropriate prayer from the pamphlet of Prayers Through the Ages, recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, that we sampled last week. This prayer is credited to one John Henry Newman, 1801-1890.
So please pray with me: ‘Give me grace, O my Father, to be utterly ashamed of my own reluctance. Rouse me from sloth and coldness, and make me desire you with my whole heart. Teach me to LOVE meditation, sacred reading, and prayer. Teach me to LOVE that which must engage my mind for all eternity. Amen.’
Now my brethren, wouldn’t you say that many of us surely need the stuff that Mr. Newman was asking for way back when? We surely do! Talk about sloth and coldness…we supposed believers exhibit that behaviour oftentimes more than the unbelievers! And it’s obvious that we don’t desire God with our whole hearts. In fact too many of us don’t desire Him at all. Otherwise our world would not be in such a disastrous and disgraceful state.
And talking of meditation, sacred reading and prayer…Wow! Too many of us don’t even know what they are, much less to practice them continuously and fervently! Again, that’s one of the reasons why our world is sin such shambles; not enough sincere time spent in God’s word, neither enough communication with Him through prayer.
For as we spoke yesterday, a society that doesn’t have the moral and spiritual direction of Almighty God will surely end in chaos and destruction before too long, for it’s the moral and spiritual fibre of a society that keeps it working in harmony and longevity. And it’s obvious that too many of us don’t keep our minds on the things that ought to ‘engage our minds for all eternity,’ that’s keep our thoughts on things above instead of on the lustful and prideful things of the earth.
Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the Colossians: ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col. 3:1-3) Yes friends, if we died to our sins with Christ, then we can’t continue to live for the things of the earth.
And to the Philippians Bruh Paul gave some practical examples of what those things ought to be. ‘He writes: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
So there we have some of the better things to think on while we live with and for Christ here on this fallen earth. And isn’t the conversation between Peter and Jesus interesting, after He told the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the scribes and Pharisees, be killed, then be raised on the third day. (Matt. 16:21)
The Bible tells us: ‘Then Peter took him (aside), and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord (God be merciful to you): this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:22-23)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. As per His remark about ‘Satan: The Lord recognized in Peter’s words a repetition of the temptations to avoid the cross that He had undergone in the wilderness. The word translated offence means a “trap” or “snare.” Savourest means “You don’t look at things from God’s point of view, but from man’s.” It occurs in Romans 8:5 and Philippians 2:5, meaning to adopt and maintain an attitude of mind upon which one’s life and actions are based.’
And too many of us are certainly guilty of looking at the things of men rather than those of God. As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘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. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:5-9)
That says it loud and clear my fellow believers; we can’t be both of the flesh and the Spirit at the same time, riding the fence, like so many of us try to do. It’s either one or the other. And we do have so many things that enable us to think of the things of God, if we use them. For instance these undeserved blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them right now, so that they can be activated in us.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…if we intend to spend eternity in heaven…then we ought to keep our minds on the things of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, another beautiful summer's day, because strait is the gate, blessing and cursing, both thou and thy seed may live, broad is the way that leads to destruction, carnal delights, choose life, duty bound, enter ye in at the strait gate, eternal death and damnation, eternal life, faith, few there be that find it, have it more abundantly, hellfire and damnation, hurry, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, I am the way the truth and the life, I call heaven and earth, I have set before you life and death, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lusts, narow is the way that leads to life, no man comes to the Father but by me, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sinful pleasures, the beloved of God, the difficult one leads to life, the easy one leads to death, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the path to heaven is narrow and easy to miss, the path to hell is wide and easy, the thief cometh not but to steal, the way into the kingdom of heaven, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to kill and destroy, to record this day against you, to whom we belong, topsy-turvy world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, two paths in life to tread, wide is the gate, wisdom, worry
Matthew 7:13a. Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
Oh my people, I’m delirious with the promise of another beautiful summer’s day like yesterday! And was it ever a perfect day: with temps around 25, bright sunshine, you could feel the heat of the sun, and a cool breeze that just set everything to rights. (smile) And it was so good, that last night at around 8.p.m, I was sitting on my porch in just shirtsleeves, watching folks walking by, also in next to nothing clothing.
Now that doesn’t happen very often in the next to last week of October…but we’ll surely give thanks for it right now, because we know that the cold weather will eventually arrive. Of that we can be sure. (smile) And surprisingly, many of the trees are still green, with only a small portion actually changing colour. But who knows what’s happening? Only the Good Lord! Our world is so topsy-turvy and confused that anything is possible.
And that’s why, if we want to succeed in this incomprehensible world, we have to hold on to the ONE SURE THING in it; that’s Jesus Christ, and tread the path that He leads us on; the straight and narrow way. Jesus advises us thus: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate (how narrow is the gate), and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14)
Yes my brethren, the majority of the world walks the wide and winding broad path that leads to hellfire and damnation, or eternal death. However, only a comparative few will be wise and brave enough to follow the straight and narrow path which leads to life eternal with Jesus.
And I like how this commentary succinctly explains Jesus meaning on the narrow path. It says: ‘What Jesus is talking about is the way to salvation. The way into the Kingdom of heaven. He is saying that the path to hell is wide and easy for people to walk, but the path to heaven is narrow and easy to miss. The way that leads to life is the one and only way.’
For sure! And yuh know what else my fellow believers? Jesus is the gate and the way, as He so openly explained to His disciples when they claimed not to know where He was going and the way there. He enlightened them thus: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now, unless you believe that and accept God’s call to find that straight and narrow path, crapaud smoke yuh pipe! For as the psalmist so wisely wrote: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
And there’s no getting around that statement my people. Because that’s exactly why the Lord had the Bible (His Word) written; so that mankind could know and see the way to travel to come back to Him, after the dreadful mistake by our forefathers Adam and Eve, caused sin to come in and overtake the world.
And sadly, now, our world is so partial to sin that it’s an uphill battle to get even supposed Christians to understand what’s really happening and the wisdom of following Jesus and the good news of His gospel. We’re so addicted to the lusts and the sinful pleasures of the world, that it’s difficult to break free, especially when the enemy is constantly whispering lies in our ears, as to the supposed benefits of such carnal delights.
But as Jesus says of the enemy, that fallen angel Satan. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary; give His sinless life for ours, take our sins upon His awesome shoulders and pay for them in full, once and for all.
Yes friends, Jesus brings and gives life, while everything that Satan touches is consumed by death and eternal damnation. That shows us, there are only two roads to travel in this earthly life, the straight and narrow one that leads to Jesus and eternal life, or the wide and broad one that leads to eternal separation from God. And the tough part of this whole exercise is that every individual has to choose his or her own path to follow, for even if you allow some one else to choose it, you, personally, still have to live by it. That’s why the Lord gave us free will.
So which path are you going to choose eh? The one that leads to Jesus and life eternal, or the one that leads to Satan and eternal death? And yuh know what my fellow saints, our God is so good and wise, that He even had the wise and right answer to that question written in His Word. Please listen as Moses explains it to the Israelites, recently freed from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witness) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and they seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
Now, let’s hope we all follow that wise advice and choose life with Jesus. And for those of us who have so chosen, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and spread the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they can also come to know and LOVE Him the way that we do! Much LOVE!
…two paths in life to tread…the easy one leads to death…but if you desire life…then the difficult one’s the way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, became obedient unto death, being found in fashion as a man, being in the form of God, Bible, christianity, diligent servants, don't do the right things, duty bound, even the death of the cross, faith, god, he humbled himself, holy spirit, hurry, hypocrites, if there be any wicked way in me, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, know my anxious thoughts, know my heart, lead me in the way everlasting, LOVE, masquerading as Christians, meditate on the Word, mercy, new mercies and compassions, permeating the land, salvation, search me O God, share His love with my neighbours, sinfulness, the beloved of God, the breath of life, the dustbin of history, the form of a servant, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, to be qual with God, too comfortable, too fearful, too lazy, trust my friend Jesus, truth, try me, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, walking our talk, wisdom, without complaining, worry
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Tuesday, Oh Tuesday! How we LOVE thee! For thou hast pushed that ugly, ole, disruptive, overbearing Monday out of our way! And for that, we give thee much thanks, Oh Tuesday! Yes friends, many of us are happy to see Monday flushed into the dustbin of history, because it brings out too many negative things in us. But that’s just because we don’t do the right things in the first place.
But nonetheless, we’re alive and kicking this Tuesday morning, so let’s give our wonderful God some thanks and praise for that, as well as for all of His new mercies and compassions that He’s poured out on us on this brand-new day, that’s sunny, but a tad cool in my neighbourhood.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, we thank You for the breath of life to see this new day, and ask that You let Your Holy Spirit lead and guide us in the way You desire us to go, so that we can be good and diligent servants as we engage in our daily walk. Please help us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world that You desire us to be. We pray it all in the holy name of Jesus! Amen.’
Now, that means listening to whatever the Holy Spirit has to say to each of us, then getting up and doing His bidding. And there’s oodles of work to be done, if we ever hope to make something godly and righteous of this sinful world. The point being, that we can only make any worthwhile changes with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
But there’s so much work to be done, that we cannot only touch the surface with Jesus, but we have to dig deep down in and with Him; study and meditate on the Word like there was no tomorrow, then right away put it into practice. For who knows if there will be any tomorrow? Our biggest problem, I believe, is not so much knowing the word, but putting it into practice, which ofttimes takes more than what many of us are willing to give.
Many of us know the word well enough to make some beneficial changes in our world, but the problem is getting us to make the effort, to put out the energy needed to make the sacrifices required to put those changes into effect. It’s all a matter of us being too lazy, too comfortable or too fearful. Remember, Jesus didn’t have to undergo the sufferation He underwent, but because of the Father’s great LOVE for his sinful creation, that’s us, and Jesus LOVE for the Father, He did it, without complaining too.
As the Bible tells us: ‘(Jesus) 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 (emptied himself of all his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s what Christ did for us, so why can’t we become a li’l uncomfortable and do His work eh? Because we’re just a bunch of talkative, no good, lazy, compromising, comfortable and fearful hypocrites, masquerading as Christians! Yuh think, with the number of supposed believers in the world, if each one of us would get out into the world and act like we should, not join or compromise with the world, that the sinfulness and ungodliness that’s currently permeating the land would be as bad?
No way! But it’s just that we supposed believers are not prepared to stand up and sincerely fight for what we claim to believe in. And the longer we wait to pull up the reins on the soaring ungodliness, the worst it will become, until we won’t ever have a chance of stopping it. Oh my people, do we really want to see our grandchildren and their children living in a world that’s worse than this one?
Of course not! But to make that happen, we have to stand up strong and fight the enemy RIGHT NOW! It’s high time to stop all the talking, which we’re so good at, like the hypocrite Pharisees of Jesus’ day, and begin walking that talk. That’s the only way we will ever make any serious changes in our current sinful and ungodly world. And what a wonderful world we can bring about if we would just walk our talk a bit more than we’re currently doing.
But it actively requires Christ’s church, that’s His people, not the buildings, to get together and stop fighting against each other, to drop the animosity and petty differences that keep us apart. Christ is depending on us to do His work, and we cannot do it if we’re as divided and uncompromising as we are.
Oh my fellow saints, we desperately need to search our hearts and see what’s there and how we can make the necessary changes. It’s like Bruh David says in that great Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139:23-24)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what we all need to do TODAY, so that we can be on our way to becoming the true salt of the earth and light of the world as Jesus desires. End of Sermon! (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (oh heifer dust!!!) yes, my exclamation was much stronger today. (smile) Let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said all of that, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…what’s it going to take… for Christians…to get up and truly act like Christians eh…another world war…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bad things happen, Bible, Christ's yoke is easy, Christiaity, defends the feeble, Dr. S.M. Lockridge, duty bound, faith, forgives sinners, god, God sent not his son into the world, He is my King, heals the sick, his burden is light, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, Jesus is my King, Jesus is our everything, limitless goodness, lollipops and roses, LOVE, mercy, naive Christians, never-ending faith in Christ, our be all and end all, rewards the diligent, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me today, the answer to our every prayer, the beloved of God, the doorway of deliverance, the fundamental truth in theology, the highest idea in philosophy, the King of Kings, the king of knowledge, the loftiest idea in literature, the Lord of lords, the prince of princes, the well-spring of wisdom, the world through him might be saved, thwarted expectations, to condemn the world, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unfulfilled lives, wisdom, with Jesus in our corner, worry
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 September 2024 John 3:17.
John 3:17. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Well it’s another wet and cloudy day in my area, but it’s Tuesday, a new day, which means an expectation of new and good things. Thus the uplifting acclamation: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today; something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ And that ought really to be the basis of our daily thinking; always expecting good things to happen to and through us, all in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
So what if our dreams and expectations are sometimes thwarted and bad things happen every so often eh? That’s just life in our sinful and ungodly world. However, we do have Jesus to help us handle all those bad things, if we put our never-ending faith and trust in Him. Life won’t always be lollipops and roses, as some of us naive Christians believe, but with Jesus in our corner, we can survive and beat anything that comes against us. And unless we sincerely believe that and practice it in our daily lives, we’ll be forever finding life miserable and unrewarding. End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, last night while going through some papers on one of my desks, I discovered something that I didn’t even know I had, it was some notes by one Dr. S.M. Lockridge, I don’t remember where I got it from or when, but after reading it, I just knew I had to share it with you today. But before we do that, I just googled Dr. S.M. Lockridge and came up with this fantastic information. His real name is Shadrach Meshach Lockridge (1913-2000).
Wow! Like he was meant for ministry from his birth. And he did end up being the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation in San Diego, California, from 1953 to 1993, and was well-known for his preaching across the United States and around the world. And what a wonderful fount of information our computers can be if used for good, because I just came across the full text of what I was going to partly share. It all comes from Dr. Lockridge’s sermon on the subject, ‘He is My King.’
So let’s listen to someone who really knew Jesus as His King. “He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. He’s God’s Son. He’s a sinner’s Saviour. He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s preeminent. He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest idea in philosophy. He’s the fundamental truth in theology.
He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick, He cleans the lepers. He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent, He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my king is the king of knowledge, He’s the well-spring of wisdom, He’s the doorway of deliverance, He’s the pathway of peace, He’s the roadway of righteousness, He’s the highway of holiness He’s the gateway of glory, He’s the master of the mighty, He’s the captain of the conquerors, He’s the head of the heroes, He’s the leader of the legislators, He’s the overseer of the overcomers, He’s the governor of governors, He’s the prince of princes, He’s the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you. But He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible, He’s irresistible. I’m trying to tell you, the Heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him.
Well. The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king! He always has been, and He always will be. I’m talking about He [who] had no predecessor and He [who] has no successor. There was nobody before Him and there will be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him, and He’s not going to resign.
We try to get prestige and honor and glory to ourselves, but the glory is all His. Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. How long is that? And ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and when you get through with all of the forevers, then ‘Amen’.” “Oh I wish I could describe him to you.”
Mama oh Mama! What a wonderful description of what Jesus is, was, and will forever be! And you can only encapsulate that by saying, Jesus is our EVERYTHING! Our BE ALL and END ALL! Without Him, we’re nothing, and with Him, we’re everything! Yes friends, that’s the kind of mighty God and king we serve and worship! And until we truly come to grips with what a magnificent Deity we are a part of, our lives will remain unfulfilled.
And having read that most worthwhile description of all that Jesus is by Dr. Lockridge, all I can do now is to quote this scripture passage on what Jesus said re His earthly purpose. ‘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. 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 3:16-18)
Oh my fellow believers, Jesus could not have stated His purpose for coming to earth any clearer than that. So please, let’s be wise and believe nuh, so that we won’t be condemned! Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that awesome declaration (yesss!!!) we now are duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…Jesus…He is the answer to our every prayer…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a declaration of hope, an accurate perception, be filled with, be filled with the knowledge of his will, be glad and rejoice, Bible, blessings, christianity, collect your beauty in my spirit, courage, creativity, curse, delivered us from the power of darkness, do not cease to pray for you, duty bound, eternal life, evil schemes of Satan, experience the sunshine, faith, favour, fruitful in every good work, giving thanks unto the Father, god, holy spirit, increasing in the knowledge of God, Jesus Christ, joint heir with Christ, joyfulness, longsuffering, LOVE, may my lightness be, negaive word, new mercies and compassions, partakers of the inheritance of the saints, pateince, practical circumstances, redemption, salvation, sit in heavenly places, smell the roses, spiritual understanding, strengthened with all might, success, supernatural strength, talent, teach me, Thank You Lord, the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, the penultimate day of our work week, the skilful application of wisdom, the true nature of things, the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours, to celebrate your abundance, to look for beauty on heavy days, to revel in, trials, tribulations, truth, unto all pleasing, walk worhty of the Lord, wisdom
Colossians 1:10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week. And thank the Lord we’re only one day away from our starlight day of Friday! (smile) Oh, the expectations we weigh Friday down with; hopefully it lives up to it’s name and doesn’t disappoint us. But, regardless of whatever day it is, once we’re alive to experience the sunshine and smell the roses, let’s be glad and rejoice in it, because that’s God’s desire. It’s why He’s given us a brand new day with new mercies and compassions. And all God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this troubled, but still beautiful earth! Amen.’
Now, here’s this month’s prayer from the InTouch Devotional that helps us to do just that. Please pray with me: ‘God, teach me to look for beauty on heavy days, to celebrate Your abundance and brilliance. I want to revel in the warmth of sunshine on my back, to appreciate the many colours You’ve created. I want to pause when the wind moves the trees just so, to admire the quirk in a friend’s personality. Though disappointments, losses, and struggles continue, I pray to laugh easily, to be frivolous with joy. May I collect Your beauty in my spirit and draw from it. May my lightness be a declaration of hope in Your goodness, today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the way we need to live this life; in full hope and trust in Almighty God, enjoying His goodness and mercy and all the wonderful things He’s made, even in the midst of all the troubles and tribulations we might face. And I believe these encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the Colossians give us some insight how to practically do all of what we’ve spoken of above.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE): In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:’ (Col. 1:9-14)
Oh my people, that’s generally what’s expected of us: To know the Lord’s will for our lives, through studying and meditating on His Word and communing with Him through the Holy Spirit, with all wisdom or ‘accurate perception into the true nature of things,’ as well as understanding, ‘the skillful application of this wisdom in practical circumstances.’ And all of that is necessary so that we can walk (live) properly and please God.
And what does that mean in a practical sense? The scholars explain. ‘A worthy walk entails: the believer is (1) fruitful in every good work, productive in Christian service; (2) constantly increasing in the knowledge of God, ever coming to know the Lord better; (3) always “strengthened with all might,” becoming spiritually stronger and stronger; and (4) in the habit of giving thanks, sincerely expressing gratitude to God in both the pleasant and unpleasant circumstances of life.’
Now I know it all sounds wonderful in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, for patience, which is persevering through trials and tribulations is only gained through experiencing those same trials and tribulations. (smile) And so is longsuffering, or bearing the faults and offences of others with a compassionate heart and mind. In other words we can only learn patience and longsuffering by going through trials and tribulations. The more trials and tribulations we go through, the better, hopefully, we’ll get at cracking those two tough nuts.
But at the same time, we need to remember all that the Father has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ; bringing us out of darkness or bondage to sin, into the light of the truth of His Word, making us worthy to sit in heavenly places with Jesus, as joint heir with Him, redeeming us through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross of Calvary, offering salvation, forgiveness of sins, all with the marvelous end of eternal life. Now with all of that done by the Father on our behalf through the Son, how can we not LOVE both Father and Son and listen to the Holy Spirit which enlightens us to their desires?
Oh my fellow believers, living and working for Jesus is the most important and beneficial thing this world has to offer. So please, let’s wake up and realize it, and forget all the foolish lies, deceptions and evil schemes that Satan tries to distract us with nuh. For only by being close to Jesus can we ever obtain salvation and eternal life. Now let’s declare (chuh!!!) our undeserved Thursday Blessings, so generously bestowed on us to do the Lord’s earthly work.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (steups!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom and understanding are only available…through sincerely living and working for Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his excellent greatness, afraid, all things work together for good, at the hand of God, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, Creator, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, faults and foibles, generously share our blessings, god, god of all comfort, God will help us fix whatever is wrong, help me understand everything in my heart, in the firmament of his power, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not receive evil, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his mighty acts, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive us with loving arms, shall we receive good, shout Hallelujah, supernatural wisdom, sustainer, talent, the Great God Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to them that love God, true believers in Christ, trust, truth, upon the loud cymbals, what I'm afraid to see, what I've never noticed, what is pure and good, what's holding me back, wisdom, with stringed instruments and organs, you'll never leave me to face anything alone, your truth sets me free
Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).
Sorry Friends, but today, Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, doesn’t look like it will live up to the summer image of the last few days, sunny and warm. In fact, it’s been forecasted to be somewhat cool and cloudy. And though we’d like every day of the summer season to be seasonally summer, (smile) we know that’s not always possible, especially with the vagaries of climate change, it’s unpredictable, unexpected behaviour.
And furthermore, since we are true believers in Christ Jesus, we understand as Job says to his wife: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) That’s a very good question my people, but we can accept the tough things that will happen in this life to all of us, because we also believe these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Yes, in the long run, eventually, our great God will work everything out for our good, so we don’t have to worry too much about what happens in our daily lives. And here’s a prayer that can certainly help us to reduce our anxieties as we go about God’s business. It’s the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for this month.
So please pray with me: ‘God, sometimes I feel stuck and hesitate to talk to you about it. Maybe I’m afraid of what You’ll say. Give me the courage to pray these words: Father, help me understand everything in my heart – what is pure and good, what’s holding me back, what I’ve never noticed, and what I’m afraid to see. Help me remember Your truth sets me free and you’ll never leave me to face anything alone. I trust You, God of all comfort. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, is there ever a lot of truth and reassurance in that simple prayer! And by the way, we don’t need courage to go to God, just faith and trust, because we know He’s made it so we can come to Him at any time with anything. Even when we’re so low down, we believe we cannot get any lower, all we have to do is turn to him and pour out our hearts, for He will understand and receive us with LOVING arms.
Remember, the Lord created us and He knows all of our faults and foibles, so nothing we do or happens to us, is news to Him. He just desires us to come to Him with all of our problems, be they big or small, because He enjoys taking an active part in our lives… all parts of them. So whatever is holding us back today, let’s go to God and pour it our to him. He LOVES to listen to us, and will help us fix what ever is wrong.
And as the prayer says, His truth sets us free, and He’ll NEVER leave us to face anything alone, because He’s a most faithful and trustworthy God, of LOVE, comfort, peace and joy! And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And that just dovetails right into these amazing words of praise from Psalm 150. So let’s get right into it:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty heavens). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)
And isn’t that the god-awesome truth! Everything that has breath ought to praise the Lord, their Creator and Sustainer! Shout Hallelujah to Him in His high heaven and give Him thanks and praise for the marvellousness of His great creation; heaven and earth, the seas, and all that therein is!
What an amazing God we serve my people! One who can do any and everything. Just look at how His creation earth, heaven, the seas, Mother Nature run, like clockwork, without any help. Who else can create such an amazing entity eh? No One but the great God Jehovah, he of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why we ought to worship and praise him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for without Him, we’re nothing!
And although we don’t deserve His awesome generosity, He still bestows it on us, for example in what we call our Thursday Blessings, given to help do His earthly work. So, let’s activate them now by declaring (chuh!!!) them. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the same generous manner to help others less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE TRUE GOD…JEHOVAH…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace that passes all understanding, a personal journey with God, a true christian life, abide in his love, above that ye are able, anointing, as the day follows the night, be able to endure it, be of good courage, blessed assurance, called thee by name, duty bound, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, faith, fear not, getting through to the other side with God, God is faithful, God will come to our rescue, God's never late, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, hope, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I have redeemed thee, I will be with thee, if ye keep my commandments, in god's eyes, in the face of adversity, Jesus Christ, lay not up treasures on earth, lay up treasures in heaven, LOVE, lustful eyes, make a way to escape, many are the afflictions of the righteous, marinating in our hearts, moth and rust doth corrupt, necessary ingredients, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, no temptation has overtaken you, nothing is impossible with God, obedience, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, such as is common to man, suffer you to be tempted, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord delivereth him out of them all, the sinless blood of Christ, the transformative power of faith, the way the cookie crumbles, they shall not overflow thee, thieves break through and steal, thou art mine, thou shalt not be burned, through the rivers, to our detriment, troublesome Monday, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wait on the Lord, walk the talk, walkest through the fire, when thou passest through the waters, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, worry, ye shall abide in my love
Isaiah 43:2a. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
And so, without any due notice or welcoming applause, we come to Tuesday, which follows Monday, just like the day follows the night and vice versa! (smile) But most likely, we’ve breathed a huge sigh of relief that we’ve gotten through troublesome Monday, and fallen into much easier Tuesday. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. But the wonderful thing about it all, is that we believers have Jesus to backstop all our doubts and fears, so even when circumstances don’t look so good, we don’t need to worry, but call up scriptures like this one from the wise words of Bruh David: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’ (Ps. 34:19)
And with those words of blessed assurance steeping, marinating in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, we can then stand strong in faith with a good attitude, and do what Bruh David so wisely advises: ‘Wait (patiently in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (patiently in faith), I say on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) That’s marvellous advice friends, although it’s not always easy to put into action, because oftentimes we feel as though our world is just being torn apart and there’s no time to wait, an instant remedy is required. But please have no fear, for in good time, His time, our amazing and faithful God will come to our rescue.
As Bruh Paul says to the church at Corinth: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13) Yes friends, our great God will either make a way for us to escape the tough circumstances, or give us the strength, the grace, the anointing to go through it with a calm peace that passes all understanding.
And, one more very important thing: He won’t be late. No! God’s NEVER late! And I can testify to that, because so often in my own life, when I’ve thought that all was lost, I’ve seen Him show up just at the right time. Sometimes He waits until the very last moment to show up, because He’s testing our faith, to see if we will actually walk the talk that we’ve been spewing out to others. And why would He not rescue us, or at least give us the strength to go through our problems after He’s made promises like this one.
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 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). (Is. 43:1-3)
Yes friends, that’s all the gospel truth, for the Lord our God has certainly redeemed us, bought us with a price, the sinless blood of Christ, which means we are indeed His! And we’ve seen examples of His people passing through the waters on dry ground through the Red Sea to escape the army of Egypt, (Ex. 14:19-31) and the rivers, where they passed through the River Jordan and it did not overflow them. (Josh. 3) And we all know the famous story of the three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the idol made by the king of Babylon and were thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal, yet they came out alive, not even smelling of smoke. (Dan. 3)
Wow! What a powerful and faithful God we serve my brethren! Remember, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH HIM! But He seeks faith and trust in those who claim to believe, and consequently tests us by allowing unfortunate stuff to happen to us, like passing through the waters. And what does passing through the waters really mean? Listen to these two commentaries on the subject. The first one says: ‘Isaiah 43:2 is a verse that calls for a personal journey with God, where trust in His divine promise leads us to discover our own strength and resilience. In essence, the heartfelt message of Isaiah 43:2 is about the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.’ No doubt about that!
And the second tells us re Isaiah 43:3-5. ‘Another thought about “when you pass through the waters”: this phrase implies getting through to the other side with God. Whether it ends with resolving a problem here or taking us home to heaven, God will be with those who LOVE Him and whom He LOVES.’ And you can bet your bottom dollar on that my people! God will ALWAYS be with those He LOVES, and those who LOVE Him! As Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my LOVE; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his LOVE!’ John 15:10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about obedience and doing the will of God! You cannot expect God to bless you while you are constantly ignoring Him and doing the will of Satan. And yuh know, that’s all the Lord really desires of us, obedience. But we allow the bright and shiny baubles and bangles of the world to dazzle our lustful eyes and thus turn away from God, all to our certain detriment. That’s a fool’s wisdom my people! For even if you acquire all of the world’s wealth, you cannot carry one iota of it with you when you die, regardless of if you make your bed in heaven or in hell.
For as Jesus so wisely advises: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth doth corrupt (ruin) and rust, where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19:21) More gospel truth and wise advice my fellow believers. Instead Jesus gives this wise and heartfelt advice as to what we should do. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Now, Jesus doesn’t have cause to lie, like Satan does, so it’s wise and sensible to believe Him. And for those of us who have been wise and sensible, and have believed Jesus, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…trust, faith, hope, obedience and LOVE…all necessary ingredients for a true Christian life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, all such rejoicing is evil, all the ways of man are clean in his own eyes, and doesn't do it, Bible, boast not of tomorrow, buy and sell and get gain, christianity, commit thy works unto the Lord, duty bound, faith, from the Lord, god, God has the last word, hurry, if the Lord will, in god's eyes, it is even a vapour, it is sin, Jesus, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, share His love with my neighbours, sharper than any twoedged sword, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought for the morrow, that appears for a little time, the answer of the tongue, the beloved of God, the best laid plans of mice and men usually go astray, the Lord weighs his spirit, the preparations of the heart, the Word of God is quick and powerful, then vanishes, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, thy thoughts shall be established, to him that knows to do good, tommorow is not promised to us, tomorrow will worry about itself, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what is your life, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 27:1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
And the days continue to move right along with no thought for our problems or negative circumstances. (smile) Yes, Monday has come and gone, and Tuesday is going about its business like there was no tomorrow. And for Tuesday, there is no tomorrow, just Wednesday anxiously waiting in the wings to take its place. Therefore it has to do whatever it needs to do today. Likewise, we believers in Jesus Christ don’t know if we’ll live to see tomorrow, consequently we should be up and about our Father’s business today, not leaving anything we can do today for the proverbial tomorrow.
Remember Cousin Sol’s wise words from Proverbs? ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And that’s the gospel truth, for look at how many plans we make for the morrow, plans that seem so foolproof, but yet when tomorrow finally shows up, we have to jettison those plans because of other more important matters. Yes friends, that scripture tells us that we are not promised tomorrow. Each day could be our last day and as believers, knowing this should change how we spend our daily lives. That’s doing what we ought to in light of God’s will and plan for our lives.
And Jesus adds to that by saying in his Sermon on the Mount: ‘Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) In other words He’s warning us: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And so it does. Yesterday, Monday, had its individual problems, so will today Tuesday, and so will tomorrow Wednesday. Some troubles might carry over from one day to the next, but be sure that each new day will bring its own problems to the front.
And with all of that in mind, we can turn to the epistle of James, who goes even further when he writes that rejoicing in boastings is evil. He says: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boastings (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17)
Jesus’ brother is really socking it to us. And He’s quite right, in these selfish and greedy times we make boastful and arrogant plans to do things without any thought to what Almighty God desires, and when He squashes those plans we wonder why such well-laid plans did not materialize. And again Cousin Sol has wise advice for us in Proverbs, that treasure trove of wisdom. ‘The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth his spirit. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov. 16:1-3)
In other words: ‘We may make our plans, but God has the last word. You may think everything you do is right, but the LORD judges your motives. Ask the LORD to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out.’ That’s it in plain and simple language my brethren! Or as the old people would say, ‘Man plans, but God laughs.’ Also, ‘The best laid plans of man and mice go astray.’ It all shows the overwhelming importance of bringing God into our everyday lives and plans. We shouldn’t make a move without consulting Him. He might not answer right away, but most of the time we know what is right, and as James says, if we know that and don’t do it, then it’s considered sin on our part.
Let’s remember that the Lord is sovereign, even over a man’s thoughts and words, and He is also the great discerner of motives. As the author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘For the word of God is quick (alive, living) and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest (not hidden) in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account),’ (Heb. 4:12-13)
My fellow saints, we cannot run from or hide anything from our Creator and Controller. So I don’t know why we foolishly insist on doing it. Please, let’s wake up and see ourselves for what we truly are nuh. That’s creations of God, to whom He gave free will, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t keep tabs on us and just allows us to do what and go where we want. Absolutely not! In His own time, according to His will, He is going to foul up our well laid plans, if we don’t include Him in them. And that’s the long and short of the story! (smile).
Now for those of us who are trying our best to live according to God’s will, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if God is not in it…then there’s a strong possibility it won’t be successful…
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