09 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, aiding and abetting the devil, all or nothing at all, Ananias And Sapphira, blessed with creativity, Christ's church needs cleaning up, Christians living more like the devil's children, courage, curse, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear the Lord thy God, great fear came upon all the church, he that wavereth is like a tossed wave in the sea, holy spirit, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, Jesus Christ, let him ask in faith, LOVE, lying to the Holy Ghost, mercy, negative word, not concentrating on our Christian duties, nothing seems right in our world, pay lip service, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, thou hast not lied unto men but unto God, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, Thursday Blessings, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, truth, upon as many as heard these things, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind
Acts 5:11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Awright! So I’ve finally caught up on all my backlogged tasks and can now devote my time seriously to the Bit! Glory Be! And we had our first spell of winter weather yesterday evening and night with freezing rain amidst some heavy showers. The warnings had been sounded, but you know these days we’ve become so obstinate and know-it-all that we don’t pay sufficient attention to the warnings. And I’m sure many people paid for that lack of attention last evening as they made their way home from work. Anyway, that situation has now been rectified (smile) and there’s some sunshine out there amongst the clouds with a decent non-freezing temperature. So all’s right with the world!
Not true at all friends. Nothing seems to be right with our crazy, war-like, power hungry, hateful world, for everywhere you turn, there’s disaster and chaos aplenty. And most of it is man made. And when you add the many natural disasters constantly occurring, it balloons to a situation that only our great, omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God can fix! That is, if He so desires. But are we giving Him occasion to have that desire? Certainly not! For even His supposed believers are not living as right as we should be, and living more like the devil’s children than those of Almighty God.
There’s no way on earth, nor in heaven for that matter, for our world to be in such man-made chaos if the majority of Christians were actually living a truly Christian life. That is truly having God as the Number One priority in our lives, by doing as Jesus demanded. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) We only pay lip service to that scripture. As well as to this one about the great commandment in the law. To which Jesus answered: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt. 22:37-38)
What’s so difficult in that to understand eh? Nothing whatsoever! It says quite plainly that you must LOVE the Lord with every fibre of your being, not to LOVE Him partially, or conveniently, as so many of us do. With the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! And until many more of us realize that and begin giving ALL of ourselves to Him, our lives won’t improve and thus our world will continue to sink into the evil mire that the devil so eagerly wants to happen. And we’re aiding and abetting him by not concentrating fully on our Christian duties. Oh friends, what will it take for us to shake up ourselves and rise to the occasion for which we’ve been called eh?
And I recently heard a pastor mention what might just be our problem. We don’t FEAR the Lord! Don’t truly reverence Him and consider His awesome power and sense of justice and righteousness. We claim to LOVE the Lord, trust Him, believe in His infinite grace and mercy, but you never hear us talking about fearing Him, both in terms of reverence and outright fear. Jesus said it thus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
No my faithful brethren, let’s not be afraid of people, who can only kill our body, but cannot harm our souls. However, we should fear God who can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell. And Cousin Sol pointed that out right at the very beginning of Proverbs when he so wisely wrote: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning or very start) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) There it is in black and white, written thousands of years ago, but it’s still the God-awesome truth!
You don’t achieve any kind of true, serious or lasting wisdom unless it comes from God, and you first have to fear and reverence Him to get it. As James so correctly said: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). for he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. a double minded man is unstable in all is ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
And I like the reference the pastor pointed out in the New Testament pertaining to God’s awesome sense of justice and righteousness. The scripture is found in Acts 5, where the New Testament church was growing and people were sharing what they had with each other. But this bumptious husband and wife (Ananias and Sapphira) decided to try and pull a fast one. They went out and sold a piece of land, but only decided to give a portion of the proceeds to the church. And that was quite okay, everybody only had to give what they wanted. But the fools went up to John and Peter, and said they’d given all they got for the land.
‘But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own, and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power (control)? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost (died): and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound (wrapped) him up, and carried him out, and buried him.’ (Acts 5: 3-6)
Yes friends, there was no need for him to lie. But that’s not the whole story. Listen to this next part that’s even more interesting. The Bible tells us: ‘And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway (instantly) at his feet, and yielded up the ghost (breathed her last): and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.’ (Acts 5:7-11)
And yuh know what happened after that friends? The church settled down and it grew in numbers and grace and goodness to each other! And I believe we need some such awakening like that, or whatever it takes to bring great fear on the church today, so that we can get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable fannies and do what we’re supposed to do, instead of fighting each other and doing the things we ought not to do. And the sad part is that we have all the tools to do it in what we call our Thursday Blessings, conveniently bestowed on us for the express purpose of doing our earthly work. So let’s activate them right now by declaring (yesss!!!) them out loud.
As one 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!’
Now it’s time to rise up, to get out and use those blessings just as generously on Christ’s behalf, so that we can make the productive and positive difference we were placed here to make! Much LOVE!
…Christ’s church cannot positively affect the world…until it positively cleans up its own house…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a near death experience, an unhappy camper, C.T Scan, cold and cough, coughing and hacking, Covid 19 virus, Credit Valley Hospital, Daylight Saving's Time, excellent medical treatment, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, keep a decent attitude during adversity, LOVE, mercy, not turning back, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord's mysterious movements, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, truth, University of Adversity, we know that all things work together for good, Wednesday Wail
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well hello there my beautiful and loyal Scrip-Bit friends and families! The ole fella is back from the dead…NO! It was definitely not a near death experience, but too much of a real life and living one. First of all let me apologize for the lack of Bits for the last three days, and those of you who have been with me for some time will know that that has never happened before. In the seventeen years I’ve been doing this the longest break we’ve ever had was possibly two days, and that’s some four years ago when I was in the wilds of South Africa on safari (smile) and the wi-fi was out of order. But even then I wrote something on the computer everyday and sent them out later.
Even when I was in the hospital with prostate cancer surgery or with heart problems, I don’t believe we ever missed more than one day. But this time it was not meant to be, and let’s be clear it was not my fault, (smile) because you all know that wherever I am, be it early morning or late night, I always send out something. Enough with the suspense and excuses. (smile) The long and short of the story is that I was involved in one of the Lord’s sudden and very effective mysterious workings. Hn! I can chuckle now… but the story unfolded like this. During the latter half of last week I was bothered and battered by the return of a disgusting and debilitating cough and asthma attacks.
And believe me, that’s about the only thing I truly hate in this world and which very easily annoys me, because I’ve suffered from it for the last sixty of my seventy something years. And Bruh Paul complained about the thorn in his side given to keep him humble. Let him try living a lot of his life bothered by constant coughing and not being able to breathe properly. And by the way, I wasn’t given any world breaking revelations, so why the impediment eh? (smile) I guess I’ll only find that out in the next life.
Anyway, on Sunday morning the attacks had gotten so bad that I finally agreed to let my big daughter take me down to the Emergency Department of the local Credit Valley Hospital. We got there around 5.am. I thought it was six, and only later on found out that the clock had been turned back an hour as the Daylight Savings Time madness had struck again. But there was no line up and I was quickly papered up and sent in to the medical waiting area. And even then, within a couple of hours I had seen a doctor and we had agreed on the procedure we’d follow. It’s then the real waiting began.
But hang on a minute here, many of you don’t believe when I tell you that the Lord is the greatest dramatist there is, was, and will ever be! You’ve seen all the twists and turns, the behinds and befores, that He laid out in Bruh Joseph’s story. Well check out this one. Right now my young daughter who lives close by, is away in Africa working and my eldest daughter just happened to be down early from her Northern Ontario country lair (smile) for a conference in Toronto scheduled to begin on Tuesday, thus she was on hand to take me down to the hospital and stay with me because the Duchess herself was somewhat under the weather and it would have been a bit much for her.
But back to the waiting for the tests, and may I add, without food. I eventually managed to convince my daughter to get me some soup, because in her superior opinion, I should not have anything to eat since it could interfere with the tests. Chuh nonsense! But I thankfully drank the soup and soldiered on. Finally, somewhere in the early afternoon hours I was called for the C.T. Scan of my chest. A porter took me down to the C. T Scan Department, and obviously I had to endure another waiting spell there.
But here’s another of the Lord’s dramatic movements. Recently I’ve been seeing a lung specialist to try and alleviate some of my lung problems, and as luck, or the Lord, would have it, a C.T. Scan had been scheduled for this Thursday, that’s tomorrow the 9th of November, but here I was in the hospital on Sunday, getting the scan done, but under rather less auspicious circumstances. How much closer can you cut it eh? But that’s our great God! And the story gets even better with time. (smile)
So, we have the five minute chest scan and go back to the original waiting area to await the results of the scan, which a couple of hours later still hadn’t shown up. And when I checked with the nurse in charge of the area she informed me that there was ONLY ONE Radiologist to read and decipher over a hundred scans. But I guess the Lord saw my state and sent out some grace and soon thereafter my test results showed up. However, it was then time to wait on the doctor who had ordered the scan to come around and discuss the results. By this time the ole fella was dying of hunger, notwithstanding the irritation of the coughing and wheezing.
When the doctor finally showed up, he informed me that the scan showed a bit of a problem with my heart and my lungs, and though it might not be anything serious, he himself would not be sending me home, but would turn my case over to the internists who specialize in that stuff, and so would make a more educated decision. You can imagine my state. More waiting again. But then again friends, the Lord proved that He is indeed a Good God, and when you keep a decent attitude during adversity, He does indeed show favour. And shortly after the doctor voiced his verdict, the charge nurse offered me a stretcher to lie on in an adjacent corridor, but away from all the hustle and bustle and noise of the crowded waiting room.
And did I ever jump at the opportunity with much prayer and thanksgiving, for I had been sitting bundled up in a corner of the waiting room all day, unable to stretch out my feet properly. So there I was, lying in the corridor at position D10, yes there are bed locations in the corridors too. And though far from the madding crowd, I was betwixt and between private rooms that also saw constant activity, but not as noisy and nerve jarring. And because I had not been officially admitted to the hospital they could not officially feed me. What they did have to offer was just some dry, bland egg salad and cheese sandwiches. But eventually I got one of the assistants to go out front and purchase some chili from Tim Hortons. Now that had some salty flavour and it satisfied me while I lay coughing and wheezing in the corridor, for all they gave me was some Tylenol and blood thinners.
Finally, sometime around 9.pm, a lady doctor showed up and revealed that she was the internist to whom my file has been assigned. The good news was she didn’t see any real problems in the scan, but nonetheless they’d keep me overnight to be on the safe side. So they finally admitted me, but I didn’t move from my corridor location, because space there was at a premium. So I lay there napping and coughing and being an unhappy camper. Then, suddenly, around 3.am on Monday morning, they moved me to a private room. Obviously I was overjoyed as the circumstances would allow.
But shortly thereafter my bubble was busted with a big pop, when I was informed that the move was not one of mercy or kindness, but of medical necessity, for I had just been diagnosed with the dreaded Covid virus. I didn’t even know that I was being tested for it. That meant I had to be isolated from the other patients and could not leave the room without a mask. But even with that bit of bad news, the Lord conveyed it through a stocky, bubbly, black nurse who was filling in for my regular nurse then on a break. And believe me, I have never seen a jollier nurse, or possibly a jollier human being, because she had my daughter and I laughing in spite of the unfortunate news.
But if I thought things were bad then, I was sadly mistaken, for by daybreak, when the news spread, I was bombarded by a host of medical people from the lowest to the highest, and many asking the same questions. But the treatment was undoubtedly excellent. They didn’t miss a beat, and though it was rather invasive, I couldn’t complain because it was all for my benefit. And by yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, they considered me well enough to be released. So here I am back at the ole homestead, not a hundred percent, but certainly not as bad as I was, and with some rest and proper food and medication I should be okay in a few days. And that’s my story. And I’m sticking to it.
Ah friends, our God is truly something else yes, and we never know what He’ll do or won’t do from one minute to the next, but if we remember this all important scripture and hold on to it faithfully, we’ll be able to handle most of our adversity with a good attitude. In the famous 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 called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our most excellent 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 don’t forget the promise that if we endure with Christ right to very end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s agree to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be a disciple of Christ…unless you attend the Holy Spirit’s University of Adversity…
P.S. I know it’s long, but good and insightful and ought to make up for the three days we missed. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accustomed to an easy amenity filled life, and dwelt among us, and the world knew him not, as many as receive him, be of good cheer, divine help, faith, Friday chant, Glory and Honour to the Lamb that was slain, he was in the world, His Name is Christ Jesys, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, Jesus Christ, keeps you in bondage, King of Kings, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mental illness, mercy, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, obedience to God's will, our sins could be washed white as snow, Peace i leave with you, quack doctor, salvation, saving grace, sincerely seek His face, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the light of the world, the storms of life, the throne of grace, the word was made flesh, the world was made b him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, truth, wisdom
John 1:10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Wow! It’s that miracle day called Friday! And it’s sunny and twelve degrees in my area! Good reason to shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ What a way we look forward to Friday and our weekend off work. To some of us that’s such a saving grace, because we find it rather difficult to handle the five consecutive days of work, travelling back and forth through never-ending traffic jams and crowded public transportation. Yes, the daily rat race is stressful and debilitating, but unfortunately that’s the way it is in this Western Hemisphere, and there’s not much we can do about it, so we just have to make up our minds, get strong and go about our work week the best way we can, if we don’t want to fall apart, to break down with mental illness, which is currently wreaking havoc in our society.
And why is that? Because we don’t have the belly and the backbone that our forefathers had. We’re accustomed to an easy, amenity filled life, so when adversity strikes, we don’t know how to handle it, and simply fall to pieces, while running to some quack doctor who can’t do anything for you, and only keeps you in bondage to him, having you visit him for ages, while paying exorbitant fees you cannot afford. I’m here to tell you friends, that there is a better way! Yes, one where you don’t pay any money and are surer of healing than with the shrinks.
His name is Christ Jesus! The Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the One who created the world and all therein, then came to earth in the form of a man and sacrificed Himself on the cross of Calvary so that our sins could be washed, white as snow! And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Glory and honour be to the Lamb that was slain for our benefit! Praise His holy name, now and forever!’ Yes my brethren, that’s whom we need to turn to whenever we can’t handle this earthly life. And that, at least in my case, is oh so often, because the storms of life just keep coming; as soon as you deal with one, another one shows up.
For as Jesus so wisely and rightly told us long ago: ‘ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Please notice that Jesus’ peace is very different to the peace of the world. His peace stays with us, regardless of our circumstances, but the world’s peace fluctuates according to our circumstances. And then, later on Jesus again talks of His particular kind of the peace, when He says to the disciples: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if you know anything about Jesus, you’d know that He overcame Satan in the battle for hell and the grave, then rose triumphantly on Easter morning, giving us the amazing victory that those who sincerely believe in Him, now possess! And that’s exactly why we need to turn to Jesus instead of the worldly shrinks? Because Jesus is our Creator and Controller! He made us and still reigns on His throne in heaven controlling things down here on earth. And since He made us, He knows us better than anyone else and thus can fix our problems if we will just turn from our evil ways, seek His face and live obediently to His will. Now that’s what is called everlasting wisdom!
But the problem is that too many of us are not practicing it, we’re too taken up with the perishable things of the world and not with the imperishable things of God. Therefore, we don’t posses the necessary parts to live this life in the abundant manner that Christ died for us to have. In other words, we’re shortchanging ourselves. Remember, Jesus Christ was the Light of the World! He came to take us out of the darkness, out of the sinful bondage in which Satan had us enveloped. Now, please pay serious attention to these words of John the gospel writer as He further writes of Jesus. ‘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 domain, or universe), and his own received him not.’ (John 1:10-11)
Ah mih people, what a sad state of affairs. Jesus comes to the world that He created, in the form of the man that He’d created, but, in general, the world didn’t pay Him any mind, neither did the Jewish people, in whose apparel and culture He came. Both the world in general and the world of the Jews, His people rejected Jesus. Nevertheless, as John continues writing: ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13)
And all God’s people shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the name of Christ Jesus, who defeated the armies of Satan, so that we could be set free from his evil bondage! Consequently, Christ gave all those who believe in Him, were born again, not of blood, but of the spiritually of God, the amazing blessing and benefit to be called the children of God! Wow! How wonderful is our Lord and Saviour Jesus! And you’d notice that although He was rejected by so many people that He still remained obedient to the Father’s will, and His everlasting LOVE for us!
And this last scripture for today is ever so powerful and wise! John writes: ‘And the Word was made flesh (became flesh), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Yes my fellow saints, Christ came to earth clothed in the flesh of man, and showed us the true character of Almighty God, the One who revels in grace and truth! And Jesus’ marvellous example of earthly living is what He expects His followers to emanate. Now, though we’re not doing such a great job, Jesus still has faith in us, and if we truly believe, then we still have hope that a complete turnaround is possible.
So, let’s confidently but humbly, go to the throne of grace, asking for divine help in this time of great need. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we know anything about our great God, it’s that obedience to His will and sincerely seeking His face are the two characteristics that will make Him offer divine help. So, there we have our answer! Much LOVE!
…only two options exist for mankind…hell and eternal damnation with Satan…or salvation and eternal life with Christ Jesus…which one will you choose…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a man sent from god, actions speak louder than words, calls men to accountability, courage, curse, death and eternal damnation, eternal life, faith, favour, free will, freedom comes with consequences, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holy spirit, How high Lord, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, in him was life, Jesus Christ, Jesus' revelation of God, John the Baptist, LOVE, negative word, positive outlook on life, prosper, salvation, salvation is not automatic, salvation is universally available, shall have the light of life, succeed, that all men through him might believe, that cometh into the world, the devil's highway, the life was the light of men, the option of salvation, the straight and narrow path, though he were dead yet shall he live, Thursday Blessings, to bear witness of that Light, truth, which lighteth every man
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 the days move along as the Lord planned them; after Wednesday comes Thursday and so on and so forth! (smile) But ours is not to question how the Lord runs His universe, ours is just to accept His dictates and when He says jump, to obediently ask; ‘How high Lord?’ Yes friends, we do have free will, freedom to choose whatever we want, but please note that freedom comes with many serious consequences. The Lord wants us to use that free will He’s given us to choose His straight and narrow way, not the devil’s highway that only leads to death and eternal damnation.
Now, let’s hope that this Thursday morning in early November, we have indeed chosen God’s path. That’s why He sent His only Son, Christ Jesus to earth, to die on the cross and give us the option of salvation and eternal life with Him. And only the foolish and unwise will reject that marvellous option so painstakingly earned for us by Jesus.
And before we were waylaid by the Holy Spirit yesterday and made to change tack, (smile) we were looking at the amazing word picture that John draws of our Lord and Saviour in the opening chapter of his gospel. So let’s get back to that nuh, because it’s ever so important to understand as much as possible about Jesus, if we truly intend to be His disciples. And yesterday we understood that Jesus was the Word of God, was with God from the beginning of time, and was also God, therefore He had a hand in making the entire universe. (John 1:1-3)
Then John continues: ‘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.’ (John 1:4-5) Oh friends those few words contain so much important information about Jesus. He had the spirit of eternal life, the light that shone in the darkness of men’s lives. He came to share that life and light with mankind, but mankind was so dark and evil that they refused to accept the light and life He offered. And the scholars explain: ‘In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
Thus John was able to continue: ‘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 1:6-9) Please note how John the disciple and gospel writer ensures that his readers understood that John the Baptist was not the true Light, but just a prophet sent to bear witness of the true Light that was to later come into the world.
And the scholars tell us that the phrase ‘Lighteth every man means that God’s revelation is universally available. It does not signify universal salvation (cf. vs. 12; 3:18,36)’ That means salvation is not an automatic occurrence, but it’s available for all and sundry to accept. And I think it’s time we get down and dirty with some scriptures that prove John’s contention about Him being the light and life of the world. And they all come from Christ Himself. Please listen closely as Jesus declares (yesss!!!) some divine truths.
After forgiving an adulterous woman in front of the hypocritical Pharisees, he said to them: ‘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) Obviously the Pharisees disagreed, contending that He was tooting His own horn. But He put them in their place as usual, explaining things they could not, or refused to understand. Later on, Jesus passed a man blind from birth, and the disciples asked who had sinned to cause him to be blind from birth?
‘Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in (revealed through) him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:3-5) And yuh know what means my fellow believers; while Jesus was here on earth, He was the light of the world, but once He returned to heaven, that job fell to us believers.
Yes, we are supposed to be the light of the world and show that light, the salvation of Jesus to all those who live in darkness, in unbelief! However, it seems like we’re not doing such a good job because instead of getting brighter, our world is getting darker and darker with each passing day. That means we need to seriously evaluate ourselves and make the necessary changes so that we can improve our discipleship.
Then, when Jesus eventually came to Bethany after the death of His friend Lazarus, and Martha was taking issue with Him for not coming sooner, because He could have saved Lazarus. Jesus said to her: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Oh my people, that is the very question that Christ is asking each of us this Thursday morning in November 2023: do we sincerely and truly believe in Him; in whom He says He is? It’s a question we ought to spend some time today seriously pondering, because many of us say we believe, but that’s only with our mouths, for our hearts and actions give a totally different picture, and that’s also why our lights don’t shine as brightly as they should, neither is our salt as flavourful as it ought to be!
Yes my fellow saints, we need to grab that baton that Jesus passed on to us when He returned to heaven and keep running the strong race that He set as an example for us, so that when He returns He’ll find lots of faith here, more light than darkness because of our magnificent efforts. Please, please, let’s get together and do better nuh. After all that Jesus suffered on our behalf, we simply cannot let Him down by doing so much less than we are capable of. And He’s so generous that He’s even given us blessings that we don’t deserve to help us do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s activate them by declaring (steups!!!) them out loud right now!
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!’
Oh friends, with all those marvellous blessings at our command, it’s our duty now to go out and put them to work on Jesus’ behalf, just as generously as He bestowed them upon us! Much LOVE!
…simply talking faith is useless…for actions speak louder than words…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, casting all your care upon him, faith, grace to accept your timing, Halloween Day, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of the mighty dollar, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my heart is stayed on hope in God, not as the world giveth, occult stuff, Peace i leave with you, rejoice always, Satanic tradition, set my thoughts higher, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the God of all grace, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, worry
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Prologue: Let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit right up front. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning and you know how it is with them; you spend more time waiting than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good Bit. (smile)
And after Monday comes Tuesday…as naturally as the day follows the night. (smile) And this Tuesday, the last day in October is bright and sunshiny in my area, though somewhat chilly, for there was frost on the cars this morning. But more importantly, for the world and it’s economic masters is that today is also Halloween day, when the world shamelessly flaunts the things of the occult, with li’l children the basis of their mockery, invoking fearful and scary foolishness, as they make oodles of money from the nonsense they promote.
What a world eh! When we’re so badly in need of God’s help with our many serious problems, we foolishly keep up with this Satanic tradition, all in the name of the mighty dollar! Personally, I’ve never seen the fun in children dressing up in scary costumes and scampering around in the night to their neighbours’ houses begging for stuff, especially candy, which every day you hear in the ads is no good for you. This is the happiest time of the year for the dentists’ because they know in another couple of months children will be flocking to them with candy infused teeth problems.
And if we insist on dealing with, cherishing and encouraging dark and occult stuff, even the scary movies are doing big business these days, what’s the purpose of this scripture then? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Then, afterwards, when a real challenge comes against us, we can’t handle it, because we’re too scared, we’re filled with fear, rather than faith. To help us with all our weak and fearful moments though, here’s a prayer from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) that will enable us to keep God first place in our lives.
Please pray with me: ‘God, please give me the grace to accept Your timing. I will enjoy this day because You have me in the palm of Your hand. No circumstance or problem can keep me from the joy You have for me. Even though it seems I may have good reason to worry or live upset, I’m going to keep my eyes on You. I know that the enemy would LOVE for me to never get my hopes up, to think that it’s always going to be this way, to just drag through the day. But my heart is stayed on hope in You. I’m going to set my thoughts higher, championing You in this moment and throughout the day. I will choose to be happy. I will choose to focus on the goodness of God. Nothing is going to override my joy in the Lord, now, or in the days to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of desire and passion we need to hold on to each and every day. Choose to be happy, choose to focus on God’s goodness and fill our lives with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) It’s all a matter of choice…our choice. We can either choose to focus on God and His goodness or the fiery trials and tribulations of this evil and wicked world! The choice is ours! No one else’s! So, if you choose to focus on your tough circumstances instead of God’s goodness, then that’s foolishly your fault. For throughout all the Bible, we have been encouraged to not fear, to not worry, just give it all to God. And these two scriptures are the epitome of that wonderful and wise advice.
First off is this scripture from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my faithful brethren, that hits the nail right on its proverbial head! Don’t worry or be concerned about anything, especially if you can’t do anything about it in your own strength. Turn it over to the Lord though prayer and thanksgiving and that wonderful peace of God, which surpasses all of man’s understanding will calm your souls and spirits. It’s that peace that Jesus bequeathed unto us, when He said: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And later on He again gives us His marvellous peace, when He tells the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if you have sufficient faith to believe in Jesus and His faithful promises, then the cares of this world won’t trouble you unduly.
Then there’s also this amazing and encouraging scripture of putting one’s cares and lives in the hands of Jehovah God. Listen to Peter tell it: ‘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. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Now friends, let’s pay close attention to those scriptures because the world is getting more evil and troubled each day, and we will only be able to handle it with God’s divine help! Now for those of us who are doing our best to stand steadfast and strong, let’s declare (awright!!!) 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!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only place to find true peace…is with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: crapaud smoke we pipe, Drinking from my Saucer, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, faith, fellowship, goodness and mercy shall follow me, holy spirit, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I lay down my life for the sheep, I shall not want, I've got a friend in Jesus, in the fires of hell, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, never give up, never too busy to help others, reaping better than I sow, sacrificial praise, salvation, the dark clouds broke, the joy of the Lord is our strength, The Lord is my shepherd, the sun peeped through again, there shall be one fold and one shepherd, truth, wisdom
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And that day which the Lord declared sacred and special, Sunday, has come around again friends, meaning it’s also time to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary for fellowship and worship, with a joyful rejuvenation of our souls and spirits. Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh. 8:10) so when we gather together, His joy percolates through us making us strong and confident in this evil world in which we live. And today we’ll open our worship celebration with a song that reminds us of the never-ending goodness of God, of His marvellous mercies and grace to the children of men who hold Him in high esteem.
The song is aptly titled ‘Drinking from My Saucer’ and is performed by Jamaican gospel artist Javenius Walker, better known as Jabez. It’s a bright and soulful ditty, so let’s get into soulful mode and offer up heartfelt sacrifices of praise to heaven. And the song opens with these spoken words of praise: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Then we burst into soulful song: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’
(Monologue: ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’)
Singing: ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’
And that’s the unblemished truth my people, because some of us have been so blessed by the Lord God Almighty that we don’t know what to do with ourselves! (smile) Now, although there are many scriptures that can be applied to different parts of the song, the scripture that I believe best encompasses the whole song are those marvellous words penned by Bruh David, that we call Psalm 23,or more precisely, ‘the Lord is My Shepherd.’ And if you don’t believe me, there’s no better way to make my point than by us declaring it (chuh!!!).
So please pray with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow mih bredrin! That surely reads like the song! All the tough times and trials we go through in this earthly life are covered, made up for by our wonderful God, our mighty and ever-LOVING Shepherd! That’s what the shepherd is all about; taking care of the sheep, and Jehovah God does indeed take care of those who follow obediently in His fold. And one of the reasons why I believe that psalm captures our imaginations so much is because we know that Bruh David lived the words he wrote.
He didn’t have an easy life, and paid dearly for his mistakes, but through it all, he never strayed far from the Lord, and consequently the Lord gave him the desires of his heart, made him a mighty warrior, a LOVING and generous soul, and when all was said and done the most powerful and adored king that Israel ever had. Bruh David himself learned the tough lessons out in fields looking after his father’s sheep, so he was very conversant with a shepherd’s duties and thus could write from personal experience, that’s why the psalm is so real.
And let’s not forget that Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd, the Good Shepherd. And He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him and will not follow another. Furthermore, He went on to boldly proclaim: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 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 10:7-11)
And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us my fellow believers; gave His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for our salvation. And since then He’s been looking after us as well as can be expected given our sinful and disobedient ways. So how can we not say that He is indeed our Good Shepherd eh? We cannot, if we are being truthful. And Jesus continues with the shepherd analogy. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16)
Now, we had better give a big ‘Thank You!’ to Jesus for including us Gentiles in His fold, for we are the other sheep He was referring to. And if hadn’t included us, then crapaud would surely smoke we pipe down in the fires of hell with Satan! Ah my fellow saints, I jut can’t understand why so many of us refuse to believe in Jesus, when He’s the best option we have in this topsy-turvy, chaotic and evil world. But as they say, there are no accounting for taste buds. And all I can say to those unbelievers is, as for me and my house, we will follow Jesus, right down the very end. And I sincerely hope you’ll join me there. Much LOVE!
…the sheep that doesn’t follow its shepherd…will eventually get lost and be forsaken…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: can't handle life without prayer, continued all night in prayer to God, departed into a solitary place and prayed, divine help, faith, Father forgive them, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, he went out, he went out into a mountain to pray, I may know you all the more, if it be possible, in the morning, increase my awareness of you today, it came to pass in those days, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, My God my God, not as I will but as thou wilt, not my will but thine, prayer, prayer is the answer, quiet my soul, reach our full potential, rising up a great while before day, slow my thoughts, the bearer of all the world's sins, the enormity of the situation, the Lord's favour, the purpose for which He was born, they know not what they do, they parted his garments and cast lots, to die on the cross, why hast thou forsaken me, wisdom, your peace and love are present
Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.
And is it ever a beautiful lazy-day Saturday, with bright sunshine and blue clouds, but somewhat chilly temperatures. Unfortunately, it won’t be as warm as yesterday, when the sun wasn’t only shining brightly but also releasing intense heat, thankfully allowing me to sit on my porch in the afternoon in shirtsleeves and soak up some of the warm rays. (smile) I believe the temperature got up to around 23 yesterday, and except for the strong breeze, it was a perfect summer day. Possibly the last one we’ll also have for some time. (smile) Today, we’ve gone back to more seasonal temps, around the low double digit figures. But there’s wonderful sunshine, so everything’s right with the world!
That means it’s time to turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So please pray with me: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And if that heartfelt prayer doesn’t bring us into God’s presence, and calm our souls and spirits, then I don’t know what will.
Ah friends, prayer is such an important aspect of a believer’s life, that you can’t put a value on it. It’s the awesome way we communicate with our heavenly Father. Without prayer, we’d be lost, merely existing in an empty space. But with that amazing ability to commune with the Creator of the universe and all therein, we’re elevated to a special place; a place a little lower than the angels, but much higher than the rest of His creation. And for those of us who don’t think that prayer is important, just look at the example set by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Although He was the Son of God, when He was here on the earth in human flesh, communing with His Father was one of the most important and regular things He did. There are so many instance in the Bible where He left the crowds, even His disciples behind and went to a deserted place to pray, to renew His spiritual strength. For, though He was fully God, in His human state, the earthly journey was indeed taxing and He couldn’t do it on His own, but every so often needed divine help to refresh and rejuvenate Him.
And it’s the very same way with us my brethren. We cannot get through this taxing earthly journey on our own either. We too need divine help to assist us in just keeping on in these troubled times, and even more so in keeping on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus. And prayer is a mighty big part of the answer. But let’s look at a few of the specific times when the Bible tells us that Jesus prayed. We see one occurrence when He was baptized. Luke writes: ‘Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:21-22)
Then, before Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He also enveloped Himself in prayer. The Bible says: ‘And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom he named apostles.’ (Luke 6:12-13) He also regularly went off to pray after preaching to the crowds, as His fame spread and more people came to Him for help and healing. ‘And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16) Meanwhile, it also seems like Jesus made it a habit to begin His day with prayer, as Mark tells us. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35)
Now friends, if the Son of God could make it a habit to get up early every day and begin His day with prayer to His heavenly Father, who are we, mere creations, not to do the same eh? We are foolish creations if we don’t begin our day with even a short heartfelt prayer for wisdom and guidance as we face the day ahead of us. Jesus knew He couldn’t handle the day without divine help, but so many of us consider ourselves above prayer and asking for help, that we just rush out each day into the evil and toxic world without the guarantee of the Lord’s favour and protection. That’s certainly not wise my people, for it’s the God of heaven who protects us and gives us favour and grace to do and get whatever we need in this earthly life. And until we truly realize that and begin utilizing it, we will never reach our full potential.
And we have one of the best examples of prayer in Jesus’ life on the night before His crucifixion. When the enormity of the situation hit Him, the realization of the terrible suffering, and the loss of communication with the Father, He went into the garden of Gethsemane and prayed. He said to the three disciples with Him, Peter, James and John: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39)
Yes friends, three times, Jesus fell on His knees and asked for the cup to be removed from him, that is, the crucifixion be cancelled. However, on each occasion, He ended by saying, ‘not my will but thine.’ Deep down He knew that it would not be cancelled, because that was the very purpose for which He was born; to die on the cross so that our sins could be paid for and thus forgiven. And it wasn’t so much the physical ‘sufferation’ that He would undergo which had His soul so sorrowful, but more the imminent separation from the Father, when He became the bearer of all the world’s sins. They had never been separated before and Jesus certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. But, like the obedient Son He was, He accepted His fate and went like a lamb to His slaughter, all for our sakes.
Ah mih people, even in severe pain on the cross, Jesus prayed. First, he cried out to the Father: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?, that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) That was the very thing that Jesus had been afraid of; separation from the Father because of his then sinful condition. But He bore it all like a man! Prayer was so important to Jesus, that on the cross, He even prayed for those who were crucifying Him. ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his garments and cast lots.’ (Luke 23:34)
Then, finally, when the end was near, after crying out again in a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (he breathed his last breath).’ (Luke 23:46) So, my fellow saints, I do hope on this lazy-day Saturday, with all the examples of Jesus’ praying, that the overwhelming importance of prayer has been brought home to us, and that from here on in, we will endeavour to improve, and increase our prayer lives, the way Jesus desires of us. Please remember, it’s all for OUR benefit, not Christ’s. Much LOVE!
…to pray, to pray…and yet to pray…that is the answer…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life, bounden duty, but god is the strength of my heart, can add one cubit to his stature, choice of free will, curse, disappointments, faith, favour, God alone is worthy of my trust, God will never leave nor forsake us, God's supernatural wisdom, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, I have put my trust in the Lord, I place my whole confidence in the Living God, immune to problems and pain, in whom there is no help, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jesus Christ, LOVE, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, negative word, nor in the son of man, One Year Book of Bible promises, put not your trust in princes, reversals, rid our society of God, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Satan the father of lies, severe drought, sorrow, surrendering to an unseen Deity, tears, the grim reaper, the living God, the prosperity of the wicked, there is none upon earth I desire beside thee, Thursday Blessings, thy word is truth, truth, whom have I heaven but thee, wisdom, worldly knowledge and wisdom
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.
And just like Wednesday yesterday, today, Thursday, has opened rainy and somewhat cloudy! Consecutive rainy and cloudy days! But who’s complaining, for we do need some heavenly blessings. Let’s be thankful that we are at least getting a little, some parts of our world haven’t gotten any in a long time and are suffering from severe drought. Let’s pray that they will soon receive some heavenly relief, because there’s nothing worse on this earth than to be without water, both in the human body and on the land.
And it’s been a long time since we’ve shared something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. So, today, let’s check out this piece simply titled ‘The Living God.’ Please pray with me. ‘I place my whole confidence In the Living God. Not because things Are going my way. Not because I understand All the inexplainables Or because I am immune To problems and pain and sorrow. But despite my questions My reversals, my disappointments Despite my sorrow and tears I place my whole confidence In the Living God For He alone can see me through. He alone is worthy of my trust.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! The One and ONLY Living God, Yahweh, is the ONLY Being in this universe worthy of our total trust! And why is that you ask? Because whether you believe it or not, He is our Creator and Controller, and nothing happens in our lives or this world unless He instigates or allows it. The problem mankind has though is surrendering their entire life to an unseen Deity, and with our God-given choice of free will, it becomes even harder for man to do so as he increases in worldly knowledge and wisdom.
Unfortunately though, worldly knowledge and wisdom don’t recognize Almighty God as the titan that He is, but relegates Him to a minor background role, even foolishly desiring to completely rid our society of His awesome presence. But that’s something that will NEVER happen, because the Lord won’t allow it. I don’t know why man doesn’t wake up and recognize his real puny, powerless self. As Jesus so rightly asked: ‘Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit to his stature?’ (Matt. 6:27)
None of us, because we don’t have the power to make any serious increases or decreases to our bodies and our lives in general. Look at how many rich people die despite their wealth and accessibility to the best medical attention the world has to offer. And so many young ones who go home before we think it’s time. And why do some get real sick and don’t pass on, while others are not sick but nonetheless pass over to the other side? If we truly had the power over our lives, wouldn’t we do it differently.
Of course! But the fact is that when the Grim Reaper comes a calling, we don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of refusing or not accepting his invitation. So, it’s about time mankind wakes up and realizes that there are only a very few aspects of life that he can really control. And even those, he controls through the goodness and grace of Almighty God. That’s why it’s wisdom of immense proportions to surrender our lives to the One, True and Living God.
And the Bible Promise for today’s poem comes from Psalm 73, that very significant expose of the psalmist Asaph’s life, where he almost fell captive to the attractiveness of the prosperity of the wicked, but discovered his folly when he went into the Lord’s sanctuary and finally understood the demise God had planned for them. Consequently, he later penned these poignant but oh so true words that Ms. Calkin uses as her Bible Promise for our poem. He writes: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps. 73:25-26)
Now those are very good scriptures on which to base our total surrender to God, because He is truly the Only One both in heaven and earth that we can sincerely and faithfully depend on. The Only One who will never leave nor forsake us, nor deceive us, like Satan, the father of lies and deceit and his evil cronies do.
Please remember these true and uplifting words of another psalmist. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (human beings), in whom there is no help (no salvation). His breath goeth forth (his spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.’ (Ps. 146:3-6)
Now that is the ultimate in wisdom, my brethren! And please pay particular attention to that last statement: ‘which keepeth truth for ever,’ because it is the indisputable truth! Real truth is only to be found in the Word of God! As Jesus so sincerely stated as He reverently prayed to the Father for the disciples: ‘Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:17) And what does that mean? This commentary explains it as simply as possible: ‘God’s Word is truth; what He says is true. We cannot simply discard it because we disagree with it. If we do, we are, in effect calling God a liar.’ And sadly, too many of us do that, or insinuate it every single day.
No wonder our world is in such a mess. But our great God doesn’t take offence because He knows that in the long run we will all have to come running back to Him if we desire salvation and eternal life. In fact, He’s even generous to a fault, bestowing blessings on us that we don’t deserve, but which are necessary for us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and to activate them, we need to declare (yesss!!!) them aloud. So please, let’s do that right now.
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!’
Now, having been blessed, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use those blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…it is good for me to draw near to God…I have put my trust in the Lord God…that I may declare all thy works… (Ps. 73:28)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: crush our spirits, deny himself, faith, gain the whole world but lose his soul, get thee behind me Satan, grow right where we are planted, Haman, he shall take nothing of his labour, hell fire and damnation, holy spirit, hurry, if you don't stand up for something you're standing for nothing, in god's eyes, Ithe beloved of god, Jesus Christ, LOVE, Mordecai, naked came I out of my mother's womg, naked shall I return thither, running our Christian race, share His love with my neighbours, steal our joy, stepping up to fulfill God's purpose in our lives, still at each other's throat, take up his cross and follow me, the bright light shining through our dark world, the greatest waste of life, the salty flavour of the earth, the wisdom of heaven, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Manrta, what is a man profited, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul, where your heart is there will your treasure be also, whether thou art come for a time as this, which he may carry away in his hand, who knows, whoseover will lose his life for my sake shall find it, whosever will save his life shall lose it, wisdom, worry
Esther 4:14b. and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
So what’s new on this Tuesday morning in late October eh friends? Not a whole lot nuh. All the disasters that are currently enveloping our world are still there; none of them have faded away during the night, which means that mankind is still at each other’s throat, behaving like wild animals instead of the civilized human beings we’re supposed to be.
Our only hope is to remember that the Lord is still on His throne, still controlling things, and in His time, when He is good and ready, that He will settle the problems in His own way. Until then, we need to be strong and steadfast in our faith, do our best to promote His Name and Word in our li’l area, like He expects of us, running our Christian race to the best of our ability with God’s grace and mercy leading and guiding us through the auspices of His Holy Spirit!
We can’t all be big powerbrokers of the world, but we can all be true believers doing our small part in the big picture. And truthfully, that’s all the Lord is asking of us yes. He doesn’t expect us all to get up and run the world, but just to do the li’l bit that He’s asked of each of us. Like the Jamaicans say; ‘one one cocoa full a basket.’ And it’s the truth; every li’l contribution grows the whole structure. So please, let’s just concentrate on doing our parts nuh, and don’t allow the untold disasters to steal our joy and crush our spirits, for if we are not the strong, salty flavour of the earth and the bright light shining through our dark world, what will become of it eh?
As these famous words of Mordecai to his guardian and cousin Esther, when the Jews were about to be slaughtered in Babylon by official proclamation through the cunning of Haman the Agagite so vividly remind us. ‘For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time (remain completely silent), then there shall enlargement (relief) and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ (Esth. 4:14)
Yes friends, who knows whether we were all born for this time, so that we can make a significant difference in the lives of those around us.? And what does it all mean eh? As one commentary puts it: ‘it speaks to stepping up to fulfill the purpose God has for each of us, even if it could cause our earthly death.’ The Lord has a plan for each of our lives and we haven’t been just placed in these trying times by accident. No! Our God does NOTHING by accident; He always has a plan for every move He makes. Consequently, we are expected to grow and mature right where we are planted.
And yes, like Esther we can fear for our lives, but if we claim to be true believers in Christ Jesus then we simply have to do whatever is necessary to promulgate His kingdom, though it costs us our earthly lives. Let’s remember these very important words of Jesus to the disciples, after telling them about His upcoming demise, and Peter took Him aside and rebuked Him, then Jesus in turn rebuked Peter, telling him, ‘Get thee behind me Satan.’
Jesus then continued: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Matt. 16:24-26)
And those are some very good questions raised by Jesus, my fellow believers! What shall we give in exchange for our souls eh? Unfortunately, a lot of us, too many, are selling our souls to Beelzebub for the perishable and foolish riches of this world, none of which we can carry with us when we leave this world.
As the patriarch Job says when he was struck down by terrible tragedy: ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ (Job 1:21) And as Cousin Sol so eloquently but plainly puts it in Ecclesiastes: ‘As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.’ (Eccl. 5:15)
Please my fellow saints, let’s take that verse of wise scripture to heart today nuh and stop running down the destructible wealth of this world, which moth and rust corrupt, and thieves steal, and furthermore, none of which we can carry with us when we depart to the other side. But instead, let’s sincerely seek the indestructible wealth of God’s kingdom, His awesome righteousness, and all that goes with it, where moth nor rust nor thieves can get into steal or corrupt it. That’s the wisdom of heaven my people! And as Jesus so rightly says: ‘For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21)
So if our eyes are steadfastly fixed on the wealth of the world, how can we have any time for the things of heaven? It’s just impossible. And the sorry thing about selling your soul to Satan for worldly wealth, is that you can also get worldly wealth through heavenly sources and not lose your soul in the process. Remember all the things in the universe belong to God, and He is the One who enables us to get wealth. So why run to Beelzebub who can’t do a bloody thing for you, but bring you down to hell fire and eternal damnation, when you can get all the same things and more from Jehovah God eh?
Please friends, let’s sit and ponder those questions today and see how they line up with the current situations in our lives! It’s high time we take stock of ourselves! Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) 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!’
Now, we ‘re bound by our words to go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t stand up for something…especially Jesus…you’re standing for NOTHING…and that’s the greatest waste of a human life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of surprises, a man of knowledge increaseth strength, a wise man is strong, be not thou envious against evil men, blessed is the man, by knowledge, by understanding it is established, commit thy way unto the Lord, enormous favour, faith, fret not thyself because of evildoers, his delight is in the law of the Lord, hope of unending possibilities, humble servants, in his law doth he meditate, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, neither desire to be with them, of unexpected affecction, possibilities filled with God's amazing grace, Rest in the Lord, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, soon be cut down like grass, standeth in the way of sinners, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the chambers be filled with precious and pleasant riches, the God who heals, their lips talk of mischief, then thou shalt have good success, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, then understood I their end, through wisdom is a house built, to such as are of a clean heart, trust in the Lord and do good, turn from our evil ways, until I went into the sanctuary of God, wisdom, wither as the green herb
Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.
And a big, bright welcome to Monday! Yes friends, that’s how we ought to greet the first day of our work week, with enthusiasm and great expectations. For, as believers in Christ Jesus, every new Monday that dawns, means we’re alive, we’ve lived through another weekend, and the upcoming week brings with it a stellar hope of unending possibilities, possibilities filled with God’s amazing grace, mercy and bountiful goodness! And we all know that if are walking obediently in God’s plan for our lives, anything is possible at any time, because that’s the kind of God we serve; a God of surprises, of unexpected affection and enormous favour.
And having said all of that, what shall we talk about today? Well the Good Library opened at an interesting place in Proverbs, where Cousin Sol talks about the wise man’s strength. So let’s investigate that passage and see what we can glean from it nuh. Cousin Sol opens that chapter by advising: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble). Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’ (Prov. 24:1-4)
Now doesn’t all that sound very familiar? It should, because throughout the Bible we’re warned against evil doing and evil doers, and encouraged to take up wisdom and understanding instead. No wonder, in the very first psalm we’re poignantly warned: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night. (Ps. 1:1-2)
And that was the very same message the Lord God gave to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh:1:8) Straight from the horse’s mouth my people, no hearsay or telltale gossip! That means it must be true.
It’s the same warning that the psalmist Asaph talked about in his own life. Thus he writes in Psalm 73: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:1-3) And that’s exactly what’s happening to so many of us in these troubled times! Too many of us are being jealous of the prosperity of the wicked. That’s why Bruh David tells us in Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And luckily for the psalmist Asaph, he didn’t completely stumble spiritually, lose his faith and fall in his envy of the prosperous wicked. But as he says later on after experiencing the chastening of the righteous. ‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain (kept my heart pure in vain), and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the children of thy generation. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (too troublesome in my eyes). Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:13-17)
Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs. 17-28). He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs. 21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs. 23-28) The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30).’
Oh my fellow saints, if Asaph, one of the highly spiritual and religious men who made music with Bruh David could be tempted to fall into the camp of the wicked through their prosperity, it’s obvious that the same thing could easily happen to many of us who are not so spiritually mature. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and do as the Lord told Joshua, meditate on His word day and night, because that’s the only way we will ever be truly prosperous and successful.
And Bruh David gave us some more practical tips in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps; 37:3-9)
Yes my faithful brethren, you couldn’t find more practical advice on how to live this earthly life. That means we need to adopt those principles in our own everyday lives so we can reflect the wisdom that Cousin Sol talks about in Proverbs. ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.’ (Prov. 24:5) And with those words, let’s go to the fountain of wisdom, Almighty God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for the many problems that currently beset our world.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we’ll do well if we take God’s advice and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…don’t look at what the world offers…but at what God’s kingdom provides…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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