27 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a desire to know jesus better, a light unto my path, a word to the wise is sufficient, after the pleasure comes the pain, align my soul, by understanding he established the heavens, don't want to feel guarded, each day is like heaven, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fools refuse instruction, for His name's sake, forget about Jesus, forsake her not, get understanding, get wisdom, give to thine head an ornament of grace, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, heart closed off to God's love, holy spirit, I may see your beauty where it multiplies, Jesus Christ, keep sound wisdom and discretion, let me be open, LOVE, more love he bestows, my ears tuned to God's voice, my face turned toward God's, my feet set in God's direction, my heart overflows, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolutions, not turning back, only one resolution needed, pay the Piper, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the longer I serve Him the sweeter He grows, the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, the Lord shall be thy confidence, the more that I love him, the skill to live life successfully, the years of thy life shall be many, thy foot shall not stumble, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to better receive your wisdom and follow it., truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, your grace where it flows
Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Well, after the pleasure, usually comes the pain! And I’m sure that many of us are in pain this dark, wet, drizzly Wednesday morning as we crawl back out to work after the long Christmas weekend. (smile) Yes, the celebrations were most excellent, but now comes the time to pay the Piper for all the piping he’s done over the last few days. And believe me, the piping isn’t quite over yet, because we’re moving into the New Year’s Eve celebrations this weekend, which is an even a bigger time for the piper. (smile)
That’s where, unfortunately, so many of us forget about Jesus and the Christmas celebrations, and concentrate more on ringing out the Old Year and ringing in the New one, with all the numerous resolutions for the upcoming year, most of which will most likely fall by the wayside a couple months into year. What a feckless, indecisive and soft society we’ve become! Anyway, realistically speaking, many of the things we talk about doing in and for the New Year, we cannot do in our own strength, regardless of how strong our determination is, since we usually set the bar too high.
The truth of the matter though, is that there’s only ONE resolution we really need to make; that’s a desire to get to know Jesus better, to LOVE Him more, be more obedient to His Word and Will! And if we do that, life will surely improve, because Jesus will guide us to do the things we need to do to improve it. For as the song says: ‘The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. The more that I LOVE Him, more LOVE He bestows. Oh each day is like heaven, My heart overflows. The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. Yes, The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows!’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We, who do our best to serve and LOVE Jesus know that, and that’s why we continue in His service, although sometimes things can get a bit tough for His name’s sake. But in the long run, serving and LOVING Jesus is the ONLY thing that makes sense in this crazy and turbulent world! End of Sermon! (smile)
Now here’s a prayer that will help us do just that. It comes from this month’s In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Lord, I don’t want to feel guarded, my heart closed off to Your LOVE, Your Spirit, Your gifts. Instead, let me be open, my face turned toward Yours, my ears turned to Your voice, my feet set in Your direction. Align my soul to better receive Your wisdom and follow where it leads – so that I may see Your beauty where it multiplies, Your grace where it flows. Amen!’
Oh mih people, those are the exact things we need to do if we desire to serve and LOVE Jesus! Our hearts must be open to His LOVE, Spirit and gifts. Our faces must be turned towards His, our ears tuned to hear His voice, and our feet walking in His direction. As the Good Library says: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And all of that helps align our souls to better receive His wisdom and go where it leads.
As Cousin Sol says so wisely in Proverbs: ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.’ (Prov. 4:5-10)
Wow! What magnificent words of wisdom my brethren! Yes those words that encourage us to seek and find wisdom and understanding are also true words of wisdom! And if we’re wise, we will follow them. Why? Because that’s the ONLY way we will ever see the multiplication of God’s infinite beauty and enjoy His amazing grace as it rains down on us. Oh my fellow saints, as Cousin Sol says, wisdom is the principal thing and along with it comes understanding. And what exactly are those two illusive, intangible things that are so important in this life, you ask?
Well. the scholars tell us that ‘wisdom is basically the skill to live life successfully.’ Meanwhile ‘understanding is the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and evil, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ And those two are so important, because, as Cousin Sol showed in his oration on the preciousness of wisdom in the previous chapter. ‘The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths (deeps) are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.’ (Prov. 3:19-20)
Yes friends, wisdom and understanding are so important that God used them to create the world! And if they were that important to God, then they ought to be even more important to us. And since Cousin Sol tries so desperately to impart the importance of wisdom and understanding to us, that we need to hear these next few verses.
‘My son, let not them depart from thine eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov. 3:21-26)
Now, with all that wisdom and understanding under our belt, (smile) let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, invaluable position in Christ Jesus. Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as an added bonus to all who endure right to the very end with Christ, that future will be even more grand and glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end nuh, so that we can all enjoy that most glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…but fools refuse instruction…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all we like sheep have gone astray, cast off restraint, Christmas, endure to the end, everyone has turned to their own way, eyes fixed straight ahead, free will, get down to brass tacks, glad to be alive, God's moral law, hands on the plough, I do not forget thy commandments, I have gone astray, it is not the will of your Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is our Good Shepherd, like a lost sheep, LOVE, not turning back, one of these little ones perish, rejoiceth the more of that lost sheep, second-wind day, seek thy servant, seeketh that which was gone astray, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the good shepherd, the iniquity of us all, the Lord hath laid on him, the onus is on us, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, where there is no vision the people perish, while there is life there is hope, wisdom
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
And then it was Wednesday, the second-wind day of our work week, but unlike yesterday, today has more cloud than sunshine, however it’s dry. And one out of two is never bad! (smile) We are also late, because on most Wednesdays at ten a.m. I go to a small church service lasting about half an hour, consisting on average of around seven people. But it’s a close knit and cozy gathering, without a lot of church rhetoric, more like a discussion group, although we do pray for those who’ve asked the church for prayers, and receive communion.
And believe me, I sometimes get more out of that small gathering than the big, church service. But that might just me, with my contrary self. (smile) And after that, I had to run around and do a couple of errands before coming home, which made me even later. But here we are at last. (smile) Anyway, enough palaver, let’s get down to brass tacks. Now, today, we’re going to look at a rather appropriate verse of scripture for these trying and ungodly times. It comes from the longest chapter in the Good Library, Psalm 119. And the verse most expressively and wisely says: ‘I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’ (Ps. 119:176)
And that, my fellow believers, is something that could be said about many of us in these difficult and mind boggling times. Many of us, for whatever reason(s) have gone astray like lost sheep, but deep down in our hearts the Lord’s commandments are still there. We’re just not following them. Consequently, the psalmist, because he’s recognized his mistake, is asking the Lord to search for Him, like a shepherd goes out and looks for a lost sheep, and so bring him back to His fold.
Oh my people, many of us could surely benefit from that prayer; asking the Lord to search for us and bring us back to Him. Remember what Isaiah said on the subject. ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6) Yes, that’s a very good description of our current society. Everyone, including believers, is intent on doing his or her own thing. That’s just the way of today’s world. Rules and regulations are bypassed without even a bat of an eyelash. We seem to truly believe the saying that rules were made to be broken. No wonder our world is in such chaos, for where law and order don’t exist, or are not treated as important, then chaos will prevail, as it’s certainly doing in numerous parts of our groaning planet earth.
Cousin Sol said it this way in Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation) the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s exactly what’s happening today; there’s no prophetic vision or revelation in our society; God’s Word, His moral law, is not recognized by many, and that’s what keeps a society balanced and on the right path. Consequently, if God’s moral law is being disdained and refuted, as Cousin Sol so wisely says, the people will perish. And that’s exactly what’s happening to us right now, we’re perishing, because we have cast off any restraint we had when we followed God’s moral law.
But the good news my people, is that there’s still hope for us. That old saying, where there’s life there’s hope,’ is oh so true! And most importantly, please remember that we have a Good Shepherd, who is totally interested in us and our whereabouts. His name is Jesus Christ, and in a few days, at Christmas we’ll be celebrating His magnificent incarnate birth. However, when He became a man, He made these bold bit true and faithful statements per our safety and protection. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth is life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) Then, He went out and did just that; died of us on the cross at Calvary.
He also said; ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:14) Yes friends, Jesus knows who belongs to Him, and we ought to know that we belong to Him, for He bought us with the price of his precious blood which flowed on Calvary’s hill. (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
And furthermore, Jesus acknowledged His shepherd’s duties and values towards us, when He told this parable of the lost sheep. ‘How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which was gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth the more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt. 18:12-14)
How wonderful is that my fellow saints! Our heavenly Father doesn’t want any of us to perish, but we must take the proactive action and seek Him out. He’s always there, but the choice has to be ours; we must want to be a part of His fold. He will never refuse us, but neither will He force us to accept Him against our will. He’s always cognizant of our whereabouts and our state of mind, body and soul, and lurking just in the background, anxiously waiting for our cry for help, so He can quickly jump in and restore us to the beautiful relationship He’s planned for all of His children. But please remember, that although sometimes God invites us, the onus is on us to make the connection, and/or accept the invitation. That’s why He gave us free will.
And having straightened out those matters, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s also been faithfully promised that those who endure with Jesus down to the very end, will enjoy an even more glorious future than they can ask or imagine! Wow! Hope to se you there! Much LOVE!
…if you’re lost and want help…please cry out to the Good Shepherd…He’ll be there in a jiffy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: believing God's promises, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, frailties and weaknesses, God knows our hearts, guiding through the Holy Spirit, head knowledge alone is a waste of time, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, let my heart be sound, LOVE, mercy, not always a bed of roses, not looking back, obedience, obey me, One Year Book of Bible promises, revernce, Ruth Harms Calkin, thank God, that I be not ashamed, the attributes of Jesus, the breath of life, the choice to obey is always mine, the multifaceted character of God's word, Three Unalterable Truths, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, walking hand in hand, Wednesday Wail, worahip
Psalm 119:80. Let my heart be sound (blameless) in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
Oh friends, this mid-week Wednesday morning is bright and sunshiny! Exactly what the doctor ordered for the dark and cloudy times the winter season so often coughs up. One proviso though, it’s windy and cold. But once the sun’s shining brightly, I don’t care about the cold. The sunshine brings out the attributes of Jesus in me, and allows me to handle the cold with a good attitude! (smile) And with that good attitude in mind, this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin titled ‘Three Unalterable Truths’ is definitely an appropriate reading for today’s Bit.
So please read with me: ‘Lord, through the years Of walking hand in hand with You I have learned three unalterable truths: First, what You command me to do You consistently expect me to do. Never do You say, “Give the command a fair try.” Nor do You say, “Consider and then decide.” My natural weakness is never An acceptable excuse. Nor is my inability To reach unreachable standards. Rather, You tell me to seek And then to keep Your commands.
Second, all of Your commands Are always for my ultimate good. “Obey me.” Your Word says “So that I can do for you All the wonderful things I promised…” “In the keeping of My Word There is great reward.” Third, whatever You command me to do You fully enable me to do. As You give light to reveal a command So You give grace to fulfill it. Your divine energy is always at my disposal. The choice to obey is always mine. The power to obey is always Yours.’
Mama Mia! What glorious truths those are my faithful brethren! The Lord expects us to do exactly as He asks, and those commandments are always for our benefit, not His, for He desires nothing of us but our faithful reverence, worship and obedience! And furthermore, whatever He asks us to do, He always gives us the strength, energy and anointing to do it. So, it’s not like our great and wonderful God ask us to do things we can’t do then leaves us in the lurch figuring out how to do it. No! he enables us to do EVERYTHING He asks of us! And until we sincerely believe that, we’ll always be wandering around like lost sheep.
The problem with the whole matter though, might be we refuse or are afraid to begin doing whatever God asks us to do, figuring that we can’t do it, so it’s no use to try. But friends, that’s exactly what the Lord expects of us; to at least sincerely try to do what He asks before giving up on it entirely. And I can certainly testify to that. When the Lord first broached the subject of the Bit with me, I laughed and said I couldn’t do it, because my scriptural knowledge was insufficient for such an important project. However, He kept badgering me in the way that only He can do, and eventually broke down my defenses.
But the truth of the matter is that my scriptural knowledge was somewhat spotty and insignificant, so at the beginning it was merely a verse or two of scripture without any knowledgeable comments. But as time went along the Lord helped me to improve. He was ALWAYS there with me, leading and guiding me through His Holy Spirit. And the more I wrote, the better informed I became, until now, some sixteen years later, instead of having a problem with writing too little, I have one with writing too much, as Today’s Bit exemplifies! (smile)
And believe me, over those years my obedience has improved a whole lot, and so have His rewards for it! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t do everything He asks me to do, or do it well, but He knows my imperfections and as we said with Zacharias yesterday, He knows my heart, that it’s for Him and not for Satan. And that’s all the Lord expects of us my people, to have a soft and tender heart towards Him and to do the best we can with what He’s given us. Nobody knows our frailties and weaknesses better than Almighty God, because He made us and put in everything that was necessary for the individual plan that He drew up for each of us.
So our foibles aren’t a surprise to Him, but He expects us to come to Him and ask for grace and mercy to do His holy will. And believe me, I discovered that in the early years of writing the Bit. When I didn’t know what to write, I simply turned to the Lord and cried out that fact, and He always helped me, though not necessarily right away. Sometimes when I opened the Good Library it opened right unto a suitable scripture. But at other times I had to go searching through the Word, until something appeared that I could get my head around. So it was not always a bed of roses; I had to work at it.
And today, when I don’t know what to write, I still cry out for divine help. And from past experience, I know that He will eventually show me something, because it’s His Word I’m trying to promote and He’s promised to ALWAYS help those who do that. How did Jesus put it after giving the disciples and us the Great Commission? ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) The important thing my brethren is to first know the word of God, and then put it into practice. Having head knowledge alone is a waste of time. The word must sink into your hearts and soul then be manifested in your life for it be of any real use.
And that’s why the Bible verse for our poem comes from that long, but magnificent Psalm on the value of God’s Word, or as the scholars put it: ‘its multifaceted character.’ And it most definitely is multi-faceted or versatile, having a variety of different and important features or elements. Anyway the Bibe verse for the poem as quoted by the book from the New Living Translation is: ‘ May I be blameless in keeping your principles, then I will never have to be ashamed.’ (Ps. 119:80) Meanwhile the King James Version, my favourite, says it thus: ‘Let my heart be sound (blameless) in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.’
Oh friends, the only way we can do that is by sincerely reading and studying God’s Word, and then putting it into practice in our everyday lives. But then again, that takes time and practice and personal experience with God. However, as I’ve testified, if you turn to God when you don’t know how to proceed, He will always show you how to go. That’s His faithful promise. And that’s another ever important aspect of walking with Lord, believing His promises, which again only comes with time and practice. So the long and short of the story is to walk sincerely with the Lord, study His word, obey His commands as best you can in your own strength, then cry out to Him for help and believe His promises.
Now, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And there’s a li’l codicil at the end that says if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…our God is faithful, strong and true…and if you are true to him…He will be true to you…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a biochemical imbalance in the brain, a light unto my path, a peculiar people, all who do evil hate light, breathed the breath of life, came unto his own, children of light, Christmas Season, circadian rhythm, consequences for our behaviour, dwell in the land, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, glorify your Father which is in heaven, hands on the plough, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, his own received him not, I am the light of the world, in him was life, Jesus Christ, let your light so shine, light is stronger than darkness, LOVE, men loved darkness rather than light, not turning back, SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, see your good works, seen a great light, sent to bear witness of that light, shall have the light of life, spiritual darkness, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the life was the light of men, the peaople ath walked in darkness, the true light, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to a glorious future with Jesus, to bear witness, truth, upon them the light hath shined, Wednesday Wail, winter blues, Ye are the light of the world
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
And Wednesday, our second-wind day, has opened somewhat cloudy and chilly. Oh, the sun is trying valiantly to have a say in the matter, but I don’t think he’ll prevail today, because the clouds do look rather raunchy and in a bad mood. (smile) But we true believers in Christ can handle a li’l cloudiness every now and then. It’s when the cloudiness gets to be a regular occurrence and we don’t see the sun for days on end, that we get a bit miffed and grouchy, and exhibit the tendency to fall into what we call SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder. That’s a type of depression that happens most often in winter, when we don’t get enough sunshine or light in our bodies and souls.
This commentary tells us: ‘SAD is more than just “winter blues.” The symptoms can be distressing and overwhelming and can interfere with daily functioning. However, it can be treated. About 5 percent of adults in the U.S. experience SAD and it typically lasts about 40 percent of the year. It is more common among women than men. SAD has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain prompted by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter. As seasons change, people experience a shift in their biological internal clock or circadian rhythm that can cause them to be out of step with their daily schedule.
SAD is more common in people living far from the equator where there are fewer daylight hours in the winter. SAD can be effectively treated in several ways, including light therapy, antidepressant medications, talk therapy or some combination of these. While symptoms will generally improve on their own with the change of season, symptoms can improve more quickly with treatment.’
And that’s the medical lesson for today! (smile) But then we have the spiritual lesson to help conquer the medical infirmity. That’s acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, for as He proclaimed in His fleshly walk on earth: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Now that says it all my brethren! If we desire to not walk and live in spiritual or even physical darkness, we desperately need to hook up with Jesus asap, for he is the ONLY One that can keep shedding light into our souls, hearts, spirits and minds!
And we all know that light is a big deal in the Word of God; the Bible. There are so many references to it that we can never exhaust them, no matter how hard we try! So, let’s check out some of them nuh, to help us ward off things like SAD and the evil works and temptations that the devil tries to send against us. And I believe the best scripture to begin with is this one from the gospel of John, where he talks about Jesus’ background.
He says: ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ (John 1:4-9)
Yes friends, Jesus is the LIGHT of the world, and He imbues all who are born into this world with the capacity to embrace His life saving light, although once we get here, the devil muddies our souls and spirits and tries to get us under his spell of darkness. And he does succeed to a great extent. That’s why when Jesus came, John states: ‘He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. he came unto his own (His own things or domain), and his own (His own people) received him not.’ (John 1:10-11)
Oh my people, Jesus came bearing light for those lost in the darkness, but He was rejected by the world in general, and by His own people, the Jews, in particular. What a sad state of affairs, that still exist even to this day. But we’re here to talk about light, so let’s do that nuh. (smile) And the prophet Isaiah said this of Jesus several centuries before He was born. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light hath shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And we certainly saw the light in the person of Jesus, born unto the virgin Mary at this Christmas season of the year.
However, as Jesus so sadly puts it to His listeners: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed, made public). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
And therein lies one of the greatest truths my brethren; men LOVE darkness, for their deeds are evil, especially in these terrible times of sin and ungodliness; therefore they refuse to come to the Light, that’s Jesus, because they know that their evil deeds will be exposed and they will have to suffer the resultant consequences. For never forget my people, there are consequences for wrong doing. The Lord will pardon sin, offer forgiveness, but continual sin will bring down serious consequences on us.
Now, a couple of short scriptures, as we are running out of time and space. Peter says of us: ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s special people); that ye should shew forth (proclaim) the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.’ (1 Pet. 2:9) Then Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘Ye are all the children (sons) of light, and the children (sons) of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.’ (1 Thess. 5:5-6)
Then John informs us in his first epistle: ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:7) Meanwhile Psalm 119 reminds us of these most pertinent facts: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) And isn’t that the everlasting truth? It certainly is.
That leads to these discipleship words of Jesus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16). And I couldn’t think of a better scripture for us to end on today my fellow saints. So let’s remember it, and do our best to put it into action as we go about our daily lives.
Now lets’ go home declaring (yes!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And let’s not forget the added promise that anyone who endures right to the end with Jesus will be greeted, most amazingly astounded, by a future even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, please, let’s all stand with and for Jesus right to the very end, so that we can enjoy that amazing future together! Much LOVE!
…light is stronger than darkness…for even a small amount of light…can easily penetrate a great darkness…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but LOVERLY…! (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and all these things shall be added unto you, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, casting all your care upon him, catch our second wind, childish intensity, distractions bombarding us, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, free to be myself, give balance to my boggled mind, hands on the plough, he careth for you, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I'm frightened, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, infuse me with your poise and power, Jesus Christ, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, my total self is submerged in you, not easy times to navigate, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, pull me off the merry-go-round, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life, the peace of God, the tension etching my somber face, to a glorious future with Jesus, too many irons in the fire, Wednesday Wail, What's Myself Doing to Myself, which passeth all understanding, your plan for my personal fulfillment
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And then it was Wednesday, the mid-week workday when we are supposed to catch our second wind and move on down to the end Friday with improved enthusiasm and excellence. (smile) Unfortunately, I don’t know if it actually works that way, because from my own experience, I’ve found that you get more tired as the week winds down. But it’s always nice to have something to fall back on to liven up our days, give us a reason to go on. (smile)
Now, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I had to go out the street early this morning and do some time sensitive errands, and by the time I got back from running around in the cold, cloudy, windy morning with the occasional snow flurries floating down from on high, hunger, thirst and tiredness and taken over my ole body, so I had to satisfy those needs before I could do a worthwhile Bit. (smile)
And today we’re going to get into this most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘What’s Myself doing to Myself?’ And that’s surely a good question for many of us to be asking ourselves in these trying and difficult times.
So please read with me: ‘With childish intensity she asked “What’s myself doing to myself?” I couldn’t help but smile As she stood before the mirror Struggling so impatiently With a stubborn jacket zipper. But I’m not smiling now, Lord As I pass my own mirror and glance at the tension Etching my sombre face. I’m frightened, Lord. Her innocent question clutches me. “What’s myself doing to myself?” Frustrated, frantic So often breathless Too many irons in the fire…
What am I doing to my body – To my mind, my emotions? What am I doing to my family? What am I doing to Your Plan For my personal fulfillment? Why do I live like this, Lord As though Your world Couldn’t exist without me? Why do I so often Tear myself from Your control? Dear Lord, calm me. Pull me off the merry-go-round Of converging conflicts. Give balance to my boggled mind. This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free To be myself.’
Wow! What very appropriate but encouraging words! Yes friends, many of us are doing harm to ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually, trying to live up to the all the conflicting convergences that are engulfing our lives. And when we do stop and think about it, we realize that we can’t fix them all, if any. And furthermore, the only way to find peace in our daily struggles is by turning back to Almighty God and surrendering our all to Him. Placing all the conflicts in His hands, while receiving His grace and mercy to go about our many tough tasks in peace and contentment.
Now, that’s not always easy to do either, especially when the many distractions of this ungodly world are constantly bombarding us from all directions, and the bills, the rent-man and whoever else is breathing down our necks for what we owe them. No my bredrin, these are not easy times to navigate, especially on our own, but we’re so blessed to have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, our Comforter, our Go-to -Guy, whom we can count on to help us in our troubles. However, if we desire His awesome help, we have to be confident and faithful enough to give ourselves and our troubles over to Him.
As the poem so rightly expresses: ‘This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free to be myself.’ Yes my fellow believers, if we sincerely ask the Lord for His poise and power, He will give it to us, fill us with His Holy Spirit that will allow us to be free to be ourselves once again, and not totally distracted and confuffled by the many headed dragons that the world is constantly sending against us. It’s the only way to win the battle against Satan and his evil doers.
And yes, the theory is very sound, but how does one go about it practically? Well the Bible Promise for today’s poem gives us some idea of how to do it. They are words of encouragement written long ago by Bruh Paul to the Philippians, but words which are still filled with strength and encouragement for today. He wrote: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And that sounds oh so easy, but like everything else, it takes practice. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes. And when the world is coming at you, it’s not so easy not to worry, but please remember that He that is in You, the Lord Jesus Christ, is greater than he that’s in the world, Satan. (1 John 4:4) And that’s the awesome truth! But you have to believe it and then put it into action by humbling yourself and casting all your care on Christ. Peter says it quiet nicely: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Now there’s the magical or miracle words my brethren: the Lord cares for us! And since He cares, He will not allow us to suffer more than we need to, if we bring all of our troubles to Him in a humble and sincere manner. And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, John, Peter, or me, mayhap you’ll believe Jesus when He tells you:
‘Wherefore, if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought (don’t worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; ad all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:30-33)
Now, let’s hope that you believed Jesus! (smile) But for those of us who do, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we’ve also been promised that if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to mee there nuh! Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus Christ…can the answers to our problems be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
01 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son is given, all things were made by him, be prepared for anything, by him all things consist, Christ is the image of the invisible God, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, get ready for winter, God in these last days, halfway home, hands on the plough, has spoken unto us by his Son, have seen a great light, he hath appointed heir of all things, he is before all things, His name shall be called Wonderful, In the beginning was the Word, It's sunny so I'm happy, Jesus Christ, LOVE, not looking back, prince of peace, repent ye therefore and be converted, so glad to be alive, thank God, that your sins may be blotted out, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the full divinity of Christ, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the people that walked in darkness, the perfect fellowship between Father and Son, the Word was God, the Word was with God, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unto us a child is born, upon them the light hath shined, Wednesday Wail
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And on this first day of November 2023…imagine that nuh, it’s already November! Anyway, it seems like the chilly weather is finally here to stay. We knew it would come eventually, and we really can’t complain because we’ve had some whopping high unseasonal temps in the last few weeks. So it’s time gear up for those low temps and the type of weather they bring. In other words, it’s time to get ready for winter! (smile) But, as I keep saying, once it’s sunny, I’m happy, and it’s quite sunny this Wednesday morning, therefore I am happy!
Ah mih people, life moves in such strange and eccentric ways that we need to be prepared for anything whatsoever, and the only way to truly accomplish that is by having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Having the One who created the world and all therein, then came to earth to experience our life in person and to save us from the evil devil, Satan. As Isaiah prophesied so long before Christ’s coming. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light hath shined…
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is. 9:2, 6-7) And the zeal of the Lord of hosts did perform it my fellow believers, with the coming of Christ to earth in the form of a man.
As John so wisely and famously puts it: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ (John 1:1) Yes friends, Jesus Christ was and still is the Word! And He was with God the Father, and still is with Him! And He was also God, and He still is God! What a marvellous Being, what an incomparable Deity! And as the scholars add: ‘in the beginning…with God’ signifies the perfect fellowship between God the Father and God the Son in eternity.
And per The Word was God: Just as the previous expression (the Word was with God) emphasizes distinction in the Godhead, this phrase stresses the essential unity. In the Greek text of this verse, God is a predicate adjective, appearing without article and preceding the Word, thus emphasizing Jesus’ divinity. John could not have expressed the full divinity of Christ more completely.’ Now I don’t know anything about the Greek language, (smile) but I will certainly accept the full divinity of Christ!
And John continues with his stunning word portrait of Christ. ‘The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.’ (John 1:2-3) There we have it in black and white! Jesus, the Word, was with the Father from the beginning of time and was involved in the making of everything that was ever made! Wow! What a magnificent personage! And if you don’t believe John on that matter, then you can turn to Colossians 1:16, and Hebrews 1:2, and find the perfect comparisons. Ah Lord eh! I might as well spoon feed us, because not many will turn to those scriptures. (smile)
Listen as Bruh Paul writes to the Colossians of the preeminence of Christ. ‘Who (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature (the first in rank). For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers (different angelic beings): all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (are held together).’ (Col. 1:15-17) Yes my people, Christ created it all, and He now holds all of His creation together!
And the author of Hebrews, introduces Christ thus: ‘God, who at sundry times (in many portions) and in divers manners (many ways) spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (ages).’ (Heb, 1:1-2) There we have it again, the indisputable message that Christ was divinely involved in the creation. And furthermore, He was also used as the true and finite revelation!
The scholars tells us that ‘the author of Hebrews immediately shows that Jesus Christ, as the agent of God’s revelation, is far superior to the Old Testament prophets. Their message was fragmentary and incomplete. It came bit by bit through visions, dreams , events, and direct communication as men were ready and able to receive it. Christ’s revelation is climactic and complete because He is the Son and because His is the message for the last days. His incarnation initiated the end time, and it will be fulfilled when He returns to earth to reconcile and restore all things. (cf. Acts 2:16-17; 3:19-21; 1 Pet. 1:20).
Now mih bredrin, I know that you won’t look up those scriptures, (smile) but we don’t have time nor space for all. So let’s see what we can fit in, without having you complain that the Bit is too long. (smile) Listen to Peter, as he admonishes the onlookers, after he and John had healed the lame man at the temple doors. ‘But those things, which God before had showed (foretold) by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should (would) suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins my be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. and he shall send Jesus Christ which was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (restoration) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which shall not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.’ (Acts 2:18-23)
And there’s no better way to end, although I got sidetracked from my original intentions. (smile) And refreshing our spiritual selves with any scripture whatsoever, is always beneficial. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me, if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, it’s guaranteed that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, please, let’s make plans to see it together nuh. Much LOVE!
…listen to the Word…from the Word…and thus…be enveloped in the Word…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fertile killing ground, a misnomer, a rainy morning, a state of continual turmoil, baptizing them in the name of the Father, conundrum, curiosity, dwelling on differences, empathy, empower me to abide in you always, endure to the end, evangelistically aggressive, find ways to respect differences, go ye therefore and teach all nations, halfway home, hands on the plough, heaven on earth, help me to be understanding, hold Satan in higher regard than Christ, holy spirit, humility, I need your help Lord, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, keep arrogance and judgement from my heart, lack of focus on similarities, LOVE, made in God's image, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, quandary, ramp up our evangelism of the world, salvation, spiritually militant, teach me to focus on similarities, thank God, that your love flows through me, the all-encompassing love of God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Great Commission, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail
Matthew 28:19a. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations,
It’s a rainy, cloudy Wednesday morning in my area, but the temperature is supposed to be above seasonal, all week, so we can’t complain. But I’m here chuckling because when I say it’s a rainy morning I’m being somewhat facetious, for if what I heard falling this morning was the only rain that fell, then a rainy morning is certainly a misnomer.
I was lying in my bed awake, around seven thirty a.m. when I heard the rain coming down. If I heard it, then it must have been a good shower for my windows were closed. However, by the time I could mentally say, ‘some rain at last,’ the rain was done. I don’t know if it even lasted for a minute. Hn, hn! I guess though, that the important thing is not how long the rain fell, but that some rain fell and watered the land, and since outside still seems wet, then some rain did fall. And that’s my conundrum, my quandary or difficult question for this 25th day of October 2023! (smile)
But let’s turn to a place where there’s no conundrum or quandary whatsoever; that’s to prayer! And I want to share the prayer in this month’s In Touch Devotional. So please pray with me: ‘Father, help me to be understanding – to approach everyone with empathy, humility, and curiosity. Please keep arrogance and judgement far from my heart and lips. Teach me to focus on similarities and find ways to respect differences. Lord, I want to practice this kindness and grace in the world, but I need Your help. Empower me to abide in You always, so that Your LOVE flows through me. Amen!’
Oh my people, if we could ever truly live that prayer then our world would certainly be heaven on earth! Can we ever learn to focus on similarities and respect differences? That would be awesome because it’s exactly what is causing all the upheaval in our world today, the total opposite; that of dwelling on differences and lack of focus on similarities. We’re all alike, made in God’s image, with hands, feet, arms, legs, mouth, ears, etc. etc. The only variations being in the colours of our skin and some facial differences. However those two differences plus the differences in culture and creed have made our world a fertile killing ground down through the ages.
The differences have been over emphasized in every age, and caused more hate, resentment, anger and wars than we can ever count. The similarities, on the other hand, seem to be non-existent from the way we ignore them. The fact that Almighty God LOVES us all is irrelevant, since many of us do not worship the same God. But until we somehow or the other learn to focus on the similarities and not the differences, our world will be in a state of continual turmoil. And that’s where Christians come in. We’re expected, through the Great Commission to carry the all-encompassing LOVE of Jehovah God to ALL the world, so that the good news of Christ’s salvation can be heard and accepted by all and sundry!
And just in case we’ve forgotten what the Great Commission is, let’s review it right now nuh. (smile) Amongst Jesus’ last remarks to the disciples were these commanding words. ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects each and everyone of His followers to do; spread the good news of his gospel both in their own neighbourhoods and to all the nations of the earth! But strangely enough, in this time of almost instant communication with technology in its many forms, the spreading of the gospel has not been ramped up as much as it needs to be, else we wouldn’t be having all the wars and rumours of wars that we’re having. In fact, that same increase in technology and information might just be causing the incessant wars that are troubling our world, and the gospel needs to be spread even more now than ever before.
In times gone by, it would take days, weeks, even months for supposed offences and detractions to reach the offended and the world at large. But now, that news is flashed around the world almost the instant it happens, and the angry rebuttal is flashed back just as fast. Thus there’s very little time, if any, for cooler heads to prevail. And that’s a big reason why there’s so much anger and resentment, quarrelling and antagonism existing, both internally and externally, between governments and people today. And the only way for those negative emotions to be lessened, note I didn’t say removed, because I doubt they ever will be completely suffocated until Jesus returns, is for believers, Christ’s church to ramp up our evangelism of the world.
And the scholars give us an interesting note on the Great Commission. They say: ‘Christ’s promise of His presence, I am with you always, guarantees the success of the church’s mission because it is really His mission carried out by His called-out disciples. The phrase unto the end of the world means until the end of the “age.” Therefore Christ’s empowerment of the church to evangelize the world is available in every age, even unto the end of the church age. In comparing the Great Commission with Jesus’ promise to continually build His church (chap. 18), we must conclude that He intended His church always to be spiritually militant and evangelistically aggressive as we take His claims of lordship to the entire world of our generation.’
Now that’s how Christ’s church is supposed to be; spiritually militant and evangelically aggressive! For that’s the only way we can ever pull off the Great Commission! And there’s no doubt whatsoever that the church falls anywhere close in any of those two categories! Rather, we’re more in tune with the desires of the world than with those of God and our evangelizing is running a poor second to many of the other faiths of the world, and consequently too many people hold Satan in higher regard than Christ Jesus.
Now that’s a situation we need to rectify as soon as possible. But we can only do that if we unify and declare (chuh!!!) one gospel, not several different versions, which will only make the heathen more confused than they already are. Thus my fellow believers, we are calling on all the denominations of Christ’s church to get serious and come together so that we can truly do Christ’s bidding and take the Great Commission to all the world! Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And then there’s this codicil, this side agreement that assures that if we stick with Jesus right down to the very end, then the future will be even more glorious that we can ask or imagine. And since Jesus doesn’t make empty promises, let’s vow to meet down at the end times with Him nuh! Wow! What a future that will be! Much LOVE!
…we cannot call ourselves true disciples of Christ…if we aren’t sincerely and seriously spreading His gospel…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pipe dream, a rebellious people, archangel Lucifer, as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, as an ensign on a hill, blasphemers, boasters, covetous, disobedient to parents, endure to the end, evil lusts and desires, faith, get you out of the way, glad to be alive, halfway home, hands on the plough, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength, in returning and rest shall ye be saved, Jesus Christ, loll around and enjoy life, LOVE, men shall be lovers of their own selves, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, obedience, of whom shall I be afraid, prophesy not, proud, salvation, Satan, say to the prophets, say to the seers see not, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is my light and my salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, to a glorious future with Jesus, to cease from before us, topsy-turvy world, turn aside out of the path, turned away from God, unholy, unthankful, Wednesday Wail, whom shall I fear, will not hear the law of the Lord, wisdom, ye would not, you despise this word
Isaiah 30:9. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord:
Ah mih people, can you believe it’s already the 18th of October. The month which just began is already more than halfway through! And although I know that the days are going at the same pace they always have, these days just seem to be moving increasingly fast. (smile) Before you turn around the days, weeks, months and year is done. I guess it seems that way because right now our lives and our world are so topsy-turvy, filled with all kinds of tremulous, disastrous, unwanted and unforeseen stuff, and thus we can’t just loll around and enjoy life the way we desire, we have to be up and busy, ofttimes just trying to stay alive.
But there’s a very valid reason for the turmoil in our lives and our world, and a very obvious way to turn it all around. And the simple reason for our many problems is that we have turned away from the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator and Provider, and have become so enamoured of our own strength and advances that we’ve left the Lord behind, taken Him out of our schools and public places, even trying to remove Him completely from our society. But friends, that’s just a pipe dream! It will NEVER happen, because the Lord will not allow it to, although our world is now behaving like the Lord said about the people of Judah through the prophet Isaiah a long time ago.
‘Now go, write it before them in a table (on a tablet), and note it in a book (on a scroll), that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.’ (Is. 30:8-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Isn’t that just like what’s happening today? Of course! And that’s exactly why the Lord told the prophet to write it, so that future generations like ours, could see that rebelliousness does not pay. But who’s taking note eh? Not with all the false stuff, the deceits, treacheries and deceptions that are being promulgated today, along with all the evil and wrong stuff that’s passing for truth, and so many of the population turning away from God, not wanting to hear His Word because it doesn’t coincide with their selfish and evil lusts and desires.
It’s like Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy about the perilous times that were to come: ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…etc. etc.’ (2 Tim. 3:2) And he goes on to list in the rest of that chapter, a whole lot of evil and ungodly things that are indeed prevalent in our world today. But yuh know what my fellow believers, this is all just a replay of the scenario that took place in heaven many moons ago, where Satan, as the archangel Lucifer, mounted a prideful, foolish plan to overthrow God and take over the kingdom of heaven.
It failed miserably and Lucifer was summarily kicked out of heaven with his handful of foolish followers to walk the earth in pain and disgrace for the rest of their evil days. And now, because he’s amassed a li’l power in the earth, instead of learning from his previous mistake, once again, he’s trying to get God’s children to side with him against the Father. But that deceitful and evil ploy will eventually fail too, because the wise will recognize Satan’s deceit for what it is, revenge against God, that will only cause them to suffer eternal damnation, and will have no part of it, for they know that the Lord is the ultimate in strength, power and majesty.
And all God’s people said, a loud and proud: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1) And the answer to those two questions is simply: ‘NOBODY!’ So hie thee away Satan! And despite our rebellious, evil and ungodly character right now, things will get better. Why? Because the Lord God Jehovah has promised it, and whatever He promises will eventually happen! First though, life will not be so rosy, for there’s this promise.
‘Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay (rely) thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling (bulging) out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall break it as the breaking of the potter’s vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it (among the fragments) a sherd (shard, broken piece) to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit (cistern).
For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke (threat) of one; at the rebuke (threat) of five shall ye flee till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of the mountain, and as an ensign (flag, banner) on an hill.’ (Is. 30:12-17)
And what’s that all about eh friends? The people of Judah’s rebellion was so deep, that while sending out queries to make peace with Egypt and the surrounding nations, they refused to make peace with God. And you know that anytime we look to others for help before looking to God, He becomes angry, thus the breaking up of the nation, in their iniquity and rebelliousness. They were so rebellious that they refused returning and rest, which meant repentance and faith, which are necessary to true salvation. Thus the Lord left them to their own foolish demise.
And friends, that’s exactly what’s happening in our world today. We have chosen to turn away in great drove from God and ally ourselves with Beelzebub. Consequently, the Lord has left us to our own way. You know He never intrudes where He’s not wanted, and we’ve made it ever so clear that we don’t desire His presence in our lives or our world. And I hope we’re seeing what happens when we’re left up to our own devices; war, hate, anger, resentment and all the negative actions and desires that fall under Satan’s portfolio. For all our sakes, let’s hope we wake up and smell the roses before it’s too late.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to hold on to God and His Word, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me friends, if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s make a date to meet at that time nuh! Much LOVE!
…the three most important words in the scriptures…obedience…obedience…obedience…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, an everlasting possession, endure to the end, Ephraim, Ephraim in his right hand, give this land to thy seed, glad to be alive, God hath showed me also thy seed, God make thee as Eprhraim and as manasseh, hands securely on the plough, he set Ephraim before Manasseh, his left hand upon Manasseh's head, his younger brother shall be greater than he, holding on to the heels of his brother, I had not thoguth to see thy face, I will make thee fruitful, Israel strengthened himself, Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on ephraim's head, live for Jesus, LOVE, Manasseh, Manasseh in his left hand, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, Rachel, sell his birthright for lentil stew, stole the firstborn blessing, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the eternal halls of heaven, the eyes of Israel were dim, the same is Bethlehem, towards Israel's left hand, towards Israel's right hand, Wednesday Wail
Genesis 48:11. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed (offspring).
And then it was Wednesday…somewhat cloudy, but still with a hint of sunshine. (smile) Thankfully though, it seems like there was some heavenly precipitation during the night, which the earth badly needed, for there’s been very little incidence of such precipitation during the last few weeks.
And what shall we talk about today eh? I guess it’s time to get back to the story of Bruh Joseph for it’s not yet finished, there’s still more interesting and intriguing stuff to come. Now, the last time we saw Bruh Joseph he had been to see his father Jacob (Israel) in the land of Goshen where the family had settled in Egypt and had promised to take his father’s remains beck to Canaan to be buried there besides his fathers.
The Bible then tells us: ‘And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself (collected his strength), and sat upon the bed. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me. And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed (descendants) after thee for and everlasting possession.’ (Gen. 48:1-4)
And if you don’t remember that incident at Luz where the Lord blessed Abraham, you can read it again in Gen. 28:10-22. And I’m chuckling here, as I consider the complex and complicated life of Jacob, a veritable schemer from the day he was born, holding on the heels of his twin brother Esau, then got Esau to sell his birthright for some lentil stew. (Gen. 25:24-34) Then to make matters even worse, in liaison with his mother Rebekah, he stole Esau’s firstborn blessing by dressing up in goat skins to assimilate Esau’s hairy skin. (Gen. 27)
Oh, what wrongs some mothers cause their children to commit! And in spite of those schemes and several others he hatched during his younger years, the Lord till chose to bless him abundantly, even to making him the father of the nation of Israel. That just goes to show that our God is no respecter of people, in the sense that our wrong doings don’t prevent Him from using us in a big way, when it suits His purpose.
Then the Bible continues, with Jacob saying to Joseph. ‘And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue (offspring), which thou begettest (are born to you) after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel (Joseph’s mother) died by (beside) me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in (on) the way of Ephrath: the same is Bethlehem.’ (Gen. 48:5-7)
So Jacob tells Joseph of his mother’s death, the one true LOVE of Jacob’s life, and decides to call Joseph’s two sons his. Then the Lord ramps up the drama even more. The Good Library describes it thus: ‘And Israel (Jacob) beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he (Jacob) said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim with (for) age, so that he could not see.
And he (Joseph) brought them near unto him; and he (Israel) kissed them, and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath showed me also thy seed (offspring). And Joseph brought them out from between (beside) his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both. Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.’ (Gen. 48:8-13)
Now, let’s remember how important the blessing of the firstborn, given with the right hand, was in that culture. They got more than the others and were the apparent heirs to the father. That reminds us of how Jacob tricked his father Isaac, who was also fairly blind, into giving him the firstborn’s blessing, when it really should have gone to his brother Esau, and the problem here is that once that blessing is made, it cannot be rescinded or changed. And the story escalates in eccentric intrigue. (smile)
The Bible tells us: ‘And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly (knowingly); for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Jsoeph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, (cf. Gen. 28:10-19) bless the lads: and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s right hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.’ ( Gen. 48:14-20)
Mama oh Mama! Is the intrigue and eccentricities never to end. But we must note that unlike Isaac unwittingly blessing Jacob instead of the firstborn Esau, Jacob had his wits about him when he blessed Ephraim before the firstborn Manasseh. Who knows why he did it. But the Scholars have some theories on the matter, however we’ll check them out tomorrow, God sparing life, because it would make the Bit much too long today. (smile) Now, let’s go home declaring (chuhhh!!!) our Wednesday Wail to all the world, letting them know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been further promised that if we endure to the very end with Jesus, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please, let’s plan to meet right at the very end with Jesus nuh! Much LOVE!
…only when you live for Jesus…can you enter the eternal halls of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an abomination, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, halfway home, hands on the plough, if God is for you nobody can be against you, Indian summer, Israel said unto Joseph, LOVE, not looking back, now let me die, Qumran, since I have seen thy face, thank God, the breath of life, the children of Israel, The Dead Sea Scrolls, the men they are shepherds, the Septuagint, the Torah, thie occupation, thou art yet alive, to a glorious future with Jesus, to feed cattle, Wednesday Wail, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive
Genesis 46:30. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
Summer-time, summer-time, summer-time! Believe it or not, yesterday was hotter than many days during the supposedly real summer season. You could feel the heat of the sun, and it was humid too, not even a cool breeze blowing. It was surely a day for sunscreen, if you were going to be out in it for any length of time. And today seems like it’s going to be along the same lines, because it’s already in the mid-twenties.
And we can’t even call it ‘Indian Summer’ because we haven’t experienced any cold spells as yet. That’s when we get unusual warm temps between cold periods late in the year. So summer-time goes on…enjoy it while it lasts, because it will suddenly disappear one day soon. (smile)
Anyhow, let’s see what’s happening with the story of Bruh Joseph. Well, his family is now on their way down into Egypt. But before we get to what happens when they arrive, the Bible says: ‘And these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons:’ Then it goes on to list the names of Jacob’s twelve sons and their sons. (Gen. 46:8-25)
And finally, it informs us thus: ‘All the souls (people) that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were three score and six. And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt, were three score and ten.’ (Gen. 46:26-27)
That means that the nation of Israel began in Egypt with some seventy people total. However, there seems to be some controversy regarding the exact number, as the scholars explain. Per verses 46:8-27: ‘The phrase the children of Israel appears for the first time in reference to the family as a whole. (before that it was just about Jacob’s own children). The grand total of 66 in verse 26 -to which Moses added Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons – makes the number 70, as in verse 27.
(And re the reference to Moses, remember he wrote the first five books of the Bible, the Torah). This agrees with Deuteronomy 10:22 and the Hebrew text of Exodus 1:5. Exodus 1:5 in the Septuagint (the early Greek translation of the Bible) however reads 75, which (the apostle) Stephen apparently quotes in his sermon (Acts 7:14) and which the Dead Sea Scrolls support. The number 75 probably includes five later descendants of Joseph.’ But be it 70 or 75, that was the small number of people from which the mighty nation of Israel was born.
And per the Dead Sea Scrolls? ‘They were found in 1947 in the harsh and remote site in the West Bank, known as Qumran – comprising more than 800 documents made of animal skin, papyrus and even forged copper—deepened our understanding of the Bible and shed light on the histories of Judaism and Christianity. Among the texts are parts of every book of the Hebrew canon—what Christians call the Old Testament—except the book of Esther.
The scrolls also contain a collection of previously unknown hymns, prayers, commentaries, mystical formulas and the earliest version of the Ten Commandments. Most were written between 200 B.C. and the period prior to the failed Jewish revolt to gain political and religious independence from Rome that lasted from A.D. 66 to 70—predating by 8 to 11 centuries the oldest previously known Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible.’ And obviously there is controversy over who wrote them and how they came to be hidden in the caves of Qumran. However, they do shed some light on the beliefs and practices of the people of those early times.
But back to Bruh Joseph’s story. After listing the genealogy of Jacob, the Bible then continues: ‘And he (Jacob) sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face (give them directions) to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.’ (Gen. 46:28—30)
That must have been a real poignant reunion between Bruh Joseph and his father, who had thought him to be dead some twenty years earlier. The Good Library then goes on: ‘And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up and shew (tell) Pharoah, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; And the men they are shepherds, for their trade (occupation) hath been to feed cattle (livestock); and they have brought their flocks and their herds, and all that they have.
And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle (livestock) from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen: for every shepherd is an abomination (loathsome) unto the Egyptians.’ (Gen. 46:31-34)
Now, I am a tad confused about Bruh Joseph’s use of the word ‘shepherd’ as the occupation of his brethren, although he goes on to claim that shepherds are an abomination to Egyptians. To my way of thinking, a shepherd is one who keeps sheep, but back then it must also have been used for keeping livestock or cattle. (smile) But you see the deception evident there, they can’t let Pharoah or the Egyptians know that they are keepers of sheep. And the words of Sir Walter Scott (1808) certainly ring true here: ‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’
Yes friends, every deception creates another problem and builds a domino structure, that will cause untold disaster when it falls. But that’s what life is all about; you pay for how you live. But for those of us who desire to live for Christ and sincerely try to do so, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ.
As one voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we keep on enduring to the end with Christ, then it’s promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can even ask or imagine. So please, let’s make solid plans to meet then nuh! Much LOVE!
…if God is for you…who can be against you eh…NOBODY…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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