04 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stranger, alive and kicking, as being yourselves also in the body, as bound with them, as chained with them, be hated of all nations, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, Christians are an easy target, deliver you up to be afflicted, dire straits, even in persecution, faith, for my name's sake, give them words of witness, harrassed, help them hold firmly to the truth, holy spirit, hurry, I have chosen you out of the world, I was hungry, I was sick and ye visited me, I was thirsty, in god's eyes, in prison, in prison and ye came unto me, Jesus Christ, kill you, let brotherly love continue, live in fear of persecution, look forward to the day, LOVE, mercy, naked and ye clothed me, open the eyes of their accusers, persecution of Christians, pray for fellow believers, protect the imprisoned, rejected, remember them that are in bonds, retaliate with violence, salvation, share His love with my neighbours, sincere communion with Jesus Christ, some have entertained angels unawares, suffering for their faith, surround them with your comforting presence, the beloved of God, the gospel, the gospel truth, the world hated me before it hated you, them which suffer adversity, they know not him that sent me, they might also be saved, to vent anger and hatred on, trust my friend Jesus, truth, when one believer hurts all hurt, wisdom, worry, ye are not of the world, ye shall be hated of all men, you are glorified, you gave me drink, you gave me food, you took me in, your peace covers the whole earth
Hebrews 13:3. Remember them that are in bonds (in prison), as bound (if chained) with them; and them which suffer adversity (are mistreated), as being yourselves also in the body.
And the days keep rolling along, just as the Lord programmed them long ago. Thus, after Monday comes Tuesday, a bright and sunshiny but a tad windy day. We’ll take it though, because it means we’re still alive and kicking, and in sincere communion with our heavenly Father. There’s nothing better that a created human being can ask or desire! And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord for all that you’ve done for us, for all that you’re still doing, and for all the amazing things you’ve promised to do!’
And today we’re going to talk about a subject that ought to be very near and dear to our hearts; that’s persecution of Christians. So let’s begin with this prayer on the subject from the recently published Prayer Cards by the In Touch Organization. Please pray with me: ‘Jesus, I pray for fellow believers who are suffering for their faith. Please protect those who are imprisoned, harassed, or rejected. Surround them with your comforting presence. Help them hold firmly to the truth. Give them words of witness for You. Open the eyes of their accusers to the gospel so they might also be saved. Thank You that even in persecution, You are glorified. I look forward to the day when Your peace covers the whole earth. This we pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Ah friends, the truth of the matter is that even in these supposed liberal and enlightened times many of our fellow believers are suffering serious persecution simply because of their faith. It’s just like Jesus said when he sent the disciples out as sheep amongst wolves to spread the gospel. He warned them: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) And He warned them again when they asked Him for signs of the end times. ‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (to suffer tribulation), and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.’ (Matt. 24:9)
Then there was also this extended warning. ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would LOVE his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you, for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.’ (John 15:18-21)
And all of that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! For we see it happening right before our very eyes in so many countries, where believers are persecuted simply because of their faith and trust in Jesus. And we’d better be careful, because it’s beginning to happen right in our Western World countries as times get harder and people become more angry and strife-filled, Christians are an easy target to vent their anger and hatred on. So we don’t only have to pray for those in unchristian countries, but also those like ourselves who supposedly live in Christian ones.
That brings us to these poignant and very important words of Hebrews, where the writer warns: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds (in prison), as bound (if chained) with them; and them which suffer adversity (are mistreated), as being yourselves also in the body.’ (Heb. 13:1-3)
Ah mih people, from the beginning of our faith Christians have been singled out for persecution because we don’t retaliate with violence as so many others do, but bravely endure the persecution for Christ’s sake. And sadly, we must make preparations for such an event, while doing our best to prevent them, for the world is in such an angry frame of mind that any little thing can trigger persecution against us because of our faith. And it’s like the Prayer Card states: ‘When one member of Christ’s body hurts, All hurt. Your prayers do matter.’
Yes friends, our prayers for our hurting brethren certainly do matter In fact they are very important, because knowing that they are being prayed for, helps the persecuted brethren to bear up some under the persecution, and our prayers also draw the Lord’s eyes to their sorrowful cries in those untenable situations. And these words of Jesus ought to drive us to do our best for those who find themselves in dire straits. ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food), I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36)
Oh my brethren, that is how we ought to react to suffering if we are true believers. For as Jesus later says: ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40) So let’s keep thinking about, praying for, and helping those unfortunate ones who cannot help themselves, for that’s what Jesus is all about. Remember He came to save the sick and the suffering, the lost and the lonely, and then gave us that job when He returned to heaven. (smile)
Now it’s time to declare our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock, and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we’re now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship od Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Christians are continually being persecuted…but we don’t need to live in fear of persecution…because we have the faithful promises of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep longing for God, a disciplined mind, a man of God, a pilgrim feast, a shattering of my bones, a sword in my bones, an attitude change, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, but of power love and a sound mind, Christian witness, come to faith in Christ, day and night, deep calleth unto deep, despite all of our hardships, divine aid, do a good job for Jesus, doing the right things, don't know which way to turn, faith, for my name's sake, frustration is our lot, getting the wrong results, God has not given us the spirit of fear, gone with the multitude, good for a man, hated by all men, he that endureth to the end shall be saved, hell in a handbasket, his song shall be with me, holy spirit, hope and wait quietly for the Lord's salvation, hope thou in God, humble servants, I remember these things, in the night, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, kept a holyday, LOVE, mercy, my enemies reproach me all the day, my prayer, my soul is cast down within me, my tears have been my meat, never give up, not making any headway, pour out my soul, praise God for His presence, praise him for the help of his countenance, praise Your Holy Name, profess our faith, promise to prosper us, reassuring words, remember all the Lord's done for us, remember thee from the land of Jordan, salvation, say unto my rock, show this evil world, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, so panteth my soul after thee O God, standing strong and steadfast, strong faith in Christ, summer in October, the God of my life, the God who heals, the health of my countenance, the hill Mizar, the house of God, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, the Lord is my portion, the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime, the mass confusion in our world, the noise of thy waterspouts, the noise of waterfalls, the oppression of the enemy, the power to solve our many problems, the situation is in our hands, the sons of Korah, the voice of joy, therefore will I hope in him, thirsting for God, to the soul that seeketh him, truth, trying times, turn from our evil ways, unbelievers are laughing at us, uncertain times, waves and billows, we're lost, what are we going to do about it, When shall I come and appear before God, where is thy God, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, why go I mourning, why hast thou forgotten me, wisdom, work everything out for our good
Psalm 42:1. As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
And even if you don’t like Mondays, you must admit that this is certainly a beautiful one; summer in October, and that alone should boost your spirits and encourage you to do a good job for Jesus today, this first day of our work week. (smile) In fact, we ought to be reminded of these marvellous words from Psalm 42, as the Sons of Korah sincerely declare: ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
Yes my faithful brethren, in these terrible and uncertain times, many of us are thirsting for God, we have a deep longing for Him, because we’re lost and don’t know which way to turn. Frustration is our lot, regardless of what we do. We confess like the psalmists: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?’ (Ps. 42:3)
And sadly my people, many of us are facing such trying times as our world goes to hell in a handbasket. The unbelievers are indeed laughing at us, when we profess our faith and yet are not making any or much headway in this life. They mock us by asking where is the great God we talk about; the One who is supposed to help us make it successfully through this earthly life?
But like the Sons of Korah further declare: ‘When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them into the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast).’ (Ps. 42:4) And it can indeed be tough when we believe we’re doing all the right things, but are getting the wrong results. Thus, we question: ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps. 42:5)
Now that last half of the verse is how we should be standing strong and steadfast despite all our hardships and difficulties. Why? Because the Lord did not promise that we would not see tough times, but that in the long run He would work everything out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) Therefore, despite circumstances that cause our souls to be cast down and disquieted, we need to still praise the Lord, while remembering all that He’s done for us in the past.
And though the psalmist continues his lament, he nonetheless does just that. ‘O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill (mount) Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts (waterfalls): all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his LOVING-KINDNESS in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.’ (Ps. 42:6-8)
And will we ever be surprised at how our attitude changes when we remember all the things that God has done in our lives. So, though we still sadly lament: ‘I will say unto my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones (a shattering of my bones), mine enemies’ reproach (revile) me; while they say daily (all day long) unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation).’ (Ps. 42:9-11)
Yes my fellow believers, once we come to faith in Christ, we will possibly find more problems simply because of that fact. For as Jesus said: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22) So the important thing is never to give up, regardless of how tough times and things might get.
Now, here are the encouraging and reassuring words of another man of God who had a hard life, lamented much, but never gave up. We’re talking about the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote in his Lamentations: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam. 3:24-26)
And there’s no better advice that that in the Bible. But it’s also hard to take it when things are tough. So, let’s go to the throne of grace, through Our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid with our many problems. Altogether: ‘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 as our prayer indicates, to receive that divine aid, we need to improve our Christian witness with acts like sincere repentance, turning from our evil ways, and seeking God more than ever! That means the situation is in our hands…So what are going to do about it eh? Much LOVE!
…God has not given us the spirit of fear…but of power…and of LOVE…and of a sound (disciplined) mind… (2 Tim. 1:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a wise masterbuilder, according to the grace of God, be found unto praise honour and glory at Christ's appearing, be revealed by fire, being much more precious than gold, Bible, brought us out into a wealthy place, christianity, defer my anger, diversified trials, every man's work shall be made manifest, faith, for my name's sake, for my praise will I restrain thee, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, god, great will be our rewards in heaven, he knows the way I take, I have refined thee nut not with silver, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I shall come forth as gold, I will not give my glory to another, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus, Jesus Christ, laid affliction upon our loins, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let every man take heed how he builds, live for Christ, LOVE, manifold temptations, quiet my soul, receiving the end of your faith, rejoice with joy unspeakable, right motives of our hearts, salvation, slow my thoughts, spiritual maturity, summer came in like a lion, tested thee in the furnace of affliction, thank you for this tenderness, that I cut thee not off, the Lord's presence, the salvation of your souls, the trial of your faith, touches the cockles of God's heart, tried us as silver is tried, true faith cannot be destroyed, when he hath tried me, whom having not seen you love, wisdom, your peace and love are present
Job 23:10. But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
And on this lazy-day Saturday, the second official day of summer, the weather is sunny and fairly cool, compared with earlier this week, when summer came in like a mighty lion with temperatures in the constant thirties. Let’s hope that it will stay in the mid-twenties for a while now. The heat’s nice, much preferable to the cold, but we do need a modicum of circumspection, for too much of anything is no good. (smile)
Now, let’s get serious and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Morning Prayer in all sincerity. As one voice: ‘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 because the motives of our hearts were right, we can now feel the Lord’s presence, His LOVE and peace truly hovering around us in even more abundance than before. And I like this prayer because it’s one of those that touch the cockles of God’s heart. You’re sincerely asking for more of Him, and He will never refuse such a prayer, since it’s His greatest desire for His human creation to sincerely seek Him with all their hearts, minds, souls and bodies.
So, as we promised yesterday, if the Lord spared life today, we would continue looking at some scriptures that speak to the testing of our faith. And all God’s children said a grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for allowing us to see another day on your great earth!’
Let’s begin then with this interesting scripture from Isaiah re God’s deferred anger. ‘For my name’s sake, will I defer (delay) my anger, and for my praise will I refrain (restrain) for thee, that I cut thee not off (destroy you). Behold, I have refined thee, but not with (as) silver; I have chosen (tested) thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted (profaned)? and I will not give my glory unto another.’ (Is. 48:9-11)
Yes friends, for the Lord’s own sake, that we do not profane His holy name, He refines us in the fires of affliction. And those fires are never very nice, but they do serve to refine us, grow us in spiritual maturity, and keep us on the right path. Now, hear these awesome words of the psalmist.
‘O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life (among the living), and suffereth not our feet to be moved (slip). For thou, O God, hast proved (tested) us: thou hast tried (refined) us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy (an abundant) place.’ (Ps. 66:8-12)
Yuh see that mih bredrin, though the Lord tries and afflicts us, it’s always for our own good, for our benefit. He brings us out of the afflictions in a better place than when we went in. Then there’s this interesting scripture from Bruh Paul in 1 Corinthians. ‘According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (straw); Every man’s work shall be made manifest (become evident); for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man’s work of what sort it is. If a man’s work abide (endures) which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by (through) fire.’ (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
Oh my people, come the judgement day, even our works will be tested to see how they held up to Christ’s service. And if they don’t survive the fire, because they are built on hay, wood or straw, then we will lose rewards, but not our salvation. For as the scholars explain: ‘The stress in this entire passage is not on a person’s relationship to Christ, but on service to Christ.’
Meanwhile, Job in his great trial said it thus: ‘Behold, I go forward, but he (God) is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself (turns) on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:8-10)
Job’s friends thought that his sins caused his downfall, that he was filled with rubbish, but he maintained that God knew when He tested him, pure gold would come out of the fires of his affliction. Can we be that sure of our situations? Who knows? But we’ve got to do our best to pass through the fires refined as pure gold.
Now here’s this last scripture, another famous one, this from Peter, where, writing about the incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven for us, says: ‘Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness (distressed) through manifold temptations: That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.’ (1 Pet. 1:6-9)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses: ‘The problem of salvation looks to the present. Earthly trials constitute a problem of our salvation, but they are only for a season, or temporary. Manifold temptations means diversified trials. True faith cannot be destroyed though God is in the process of refining faith through our trials.’
Oh my fellow saints, living for Christ seems like a tough life, and it sometimes truly is, but let’s remember that the rewards of putting Christ first are well worth the trials and testings we go through in this evil and ungodly world. The long and short of the story is we know our salvation is assured through God’s gift of grace, and if we live the way Christ desires, great will be our rewards in heaven! Much LOVE!
…building on the solid foundation of Christ…is the wise earthly way to go…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a horse of an entirely different colour, All to Jesus I surrender, all to thee my blessed Saviour, be not conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, by the mercies of God, contentment, filled with the confidence of God, for my name's sake, give God thanks and praise for His everlasting kindness, he cannot be my disciple, I feel the sacred flame, I will ever love and trust Him, in his presence daily live, inherit everlasting life, one foot in the kingdom, one foot in the world, peace, present your bodies a living sacrifice, put their means at the disposal of God's ends, quiet, sacrifice on Christ's behalf, shall receive a hundredfold, sit on His throne of glory, Sunday glorious Sunday, that forsaketh not all that he hath, that good acceptable and perfect will of God, the joy of full salvation, the Son of man, whosoever he be of you, your reasonable service
Luke 14:33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
It’s the Lord’s Day my people! The first day of the new week…Sunday, glorious Sunday! Just the fact that it’s Sunday, with its peace, quiet and contentment, is enough for celebrations, and when you add the factors of gathering and worship in the Lord’s sanctuary, or by the awesome means of technology that we now have, oh brother, the day gets even brighter!
That’s why Christians are so joyful all over the planet this Sunday morning…and well they should be, as there’s nothing more important than gathering to give our wonderful God much thanks and praise for His everlasting kindness to us, although we don’t deserve it.
And as always, we’ll begin today’s proceedings with a song of humble acknowledgement of God’s awesome LOVE, grace and mercy, written around 1896 by the American hymn writer, Judson W. Van De Venter (1855-1939). It’s a song we all know and LOVE, one that’s aptly titled: ‘All to Jesus I Surrender.’ So, without further ado, let’s raise our voices in sacrificial praise in a soulful and harmonious version of the song, letting heaven know of the high regard in which we hold our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And the choir sang: ‘All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give; I will ever LOVE and trust Him, In His presence daily live. (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.) All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain: I surrender all..) All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine. (Refrain: I surrender all…)
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy LOVE and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain: I surrender all…) All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His name! (Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all… All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all…’
Oh friends, that word ‘surrender’ is possibly the most important word when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, because if we don’t wholly surrender our lives to him, He won’t be able to do any meaningful work in them. He want’s ALL of us, or nothing at all, because He’s interested in even the smallest, apparently meaningless aspect of our lives! Yes, and when we surrender our all to Him, it shows that we sincerely revere and trust him.
Now, I believe we can break down this term surrender into two aspects; the first being giving up our worldly possessions in the name of Jesus’ work, like He says in the gospel of Luke: ‘So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.’ (Luke 14:33). It’s like how the brothers, Peter and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John just gave up their fishing business and families and followed Jesus when He called them. (Matt. 4:18-22)
And the scholars explain that verse from Luke thus. ‘Forsaketh means literally “renounce” or “give up.” Disciples must live in constant readiness to put their means at the disposal of the Lord’s ends.’ That’s why the rich man who wanted to follow Jesus and was told he first had to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, went away sad. Like many of us, he found it difficult to give up his worldly possessions. Thankfully though, Jesus doesn’t always want us to give up everything, but He does expect us to sacrifice on His behalf whenever the situation calls for it.
And thus, when in sincere astonishment, Peter asked who could be saved, if the rich man would have problems entering heaven? Jesus replies with this promise. ‘And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or fathers, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands (fields), for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life,’ when the Son of man shall sit on His throne of glory. (Matt. 19:29)
So, we lose some earthly possessions down here living and working for Jesus, but we will be well rewarded for the sacrifices we make when Jesus assumes His rightful place on the throne of His father David. However, I do believe that the other aspect of surrendering, that of our soul, hearts, and bodies, is more important and even more difficult. Why? Because things are easier to give away than oneself, and are also easier to earn again. But the giving away of one’s heart, mind, body and soul, is a horse of an entirely different colour. (smile)
And just look at how Bruh Paul solemnly and seriously puts it in His letter to the Roman church nuh. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.’ (Rom. 12:1)
And the scholars explain: ‘By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans chapters 1-11 in justifying the believer (chs. 1-5), enabling the believer to live a righteous life (chs. 6-8), and being faithful to Israel (chs. 9-11). That ye present refers to a definite act of presentation. The verb is used of offering a sacrifice that became “holy” under the Levitical system (cf. Ex. 29:37). This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation. Your bodies: The body has been an instrument of sin (ch. 6). Now it is to be presented to God as a channel through which the righteousness of God is manifested.’
Oh my, my! Remember I said the second aspect was harder than the first. (smile) But Bruh Paul is so thoughtful, that whenever he gives us a hefty spiritual task, he always gives us some practical way(s) to perform it. So, here’s how we go about presenting our bodies a reasonable service to God. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect (mature), will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2)
Yes, my fellow believers, all true surrender begins with transforming our minds, because that’s where the battle for supremacy between the flesh and the Holy Spirit takes place. And if you keep on thinking like the world does, you won’t be able to give your all to Jesus. Many of us try to ride the fence, with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom, but that’s useless, because you’ll never be successfully transformed until you give ALL, not some to Jesus!
And for some further practical advice on how to transform oneself, you can check out Bruh Paul’s advice to the Ephesians in chapter 4:21-32. That’s our homework for today. (smile) Now let’s go home rejuvenated, and inspired, filled with the confidence of our heavenly Father, that we can successfully handle whatever comes against us in this new week. Much LOVE!
…to the Father…to the Son…and to the Holy Spirit…be the glory…now and for ever more…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, agape love, and lo I am with you always, be of good cheer, by the putting on of my hands, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for my name's sake, give us wise guidance, God will supply all of my needs, great is your reward in heaven, hear our prayer, humble servants, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, i have overcome the world, I put thee in remembrace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jehovah Rapha, keep the flame alive, let not your heart be troubled, let the weak say I am strong, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, of power love and a sound mind, Peace i leave with you, rejoice and be exceeding glad, sincere repentance, so persecuted they the prophets, stir up the gift of God, strong faith in Christ, the ability to accomplish God's will, the God who heals, the grace of God, the light of the world, turn from our evil ways, when men shall revile you
2 Timothy 1:6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands.
The big day of Monday is up friends, let’s get out there and handle it with the grace and strength that we derive from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s what He expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves as His disciples. And most likely it’s not going to be easy to achieve our purpose, but that’s what Jesus brings to the table; the ability for us to do what He desires of us. Remember what He told the disciples when He bade them to go out all over the world and make other disciples in His name? ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b)
That’s why we also have scriptures like ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And ‘My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil, 4:19) They remind us that Christ is always with us through His Holy Spirit, both in the good and bad, hard and easy times, but we have to know the Word, then activate in our lives when the moment arrives.
And then we come to the main topic for today, exhortation for endurance, like Bruh Paul made to Timothy, when he told him. ‘Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting (laying) on of my hands.’ (2 Tim. 1:6) Bruh Paul was there urging Timothy to ‘stir up,’ keep alive the flame that God gifted him, that’s the grace of God. And likewise, we are also required to keep the flame of our gift of grace from God burning brightly. Remember we are the light of the world.
And we have all the tools to do it, because as Bruh Paul continues: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Yes friends, we have it all; all that we need to retake the world from the evil forces that are now controlling it. The power, meaning the ability to accomplish whatever God wills, the LOVE, that’s the agape or brotherly affection and compassion for each other, and the sound or disciplined mind to keep it all on track.
Then Bruh Paul said it like this to the church at Rome. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom. 8:14-15) Oh my faithful brethren, if we have become the adopted children of Almighty God, then we cannot be in bondage to fear, because the mighty power and Spirit of God dwells and works in us to dispel fear.
That points us to this reassuring scripture passage from Jesus, where He tells the disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And we all know that is not very easy to do in the carnal and ungodly world in which we currently live, but if we use all the tools that Christ has given us, we will be able to endure and even burn brightly while we are enduring. (smile) We must use God’s word to do His will and His work.
Listen to another encouraging bit of scripture from Jesus nuh. ‘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) Nobody knew better than Jesus that we would have trials and tribulation, persecution and resistance. He mentioned it in the Sermon on the Mount when talking of the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12)
Yes, it can be rough being a follower of Jesus, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. They persecuted Him, and they are likely to persecute those who follow Him. And He repeated it again later on specifically to the twelve disciples, after He had chosen them. ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ (Matt. 10:22)
Oh my fellow saints, following Jesus is an exercise in faith and endurance, or what the old folks called ‘belly and backbone.’ If you don’t have either of them, life in His camp will be extremely difficult. But the good thing is that they can be learned, and Jesus gives us all the tools we need to do it when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. But we must get down to brass tacks and play our part. Following Jesus is not for whiners. As He says, to be His disciple, we have to sacrifice our will for His, then take up our cross and follow Him. It’s not easy, but it’s very possible, and most adventurous.
And He never turns us down when we have problems and come to Him in sincere prayer seeking comfort and consolation. And do we ever need those things right now in this divided and troubled world. So, let’s go to our God and Saviour for divine favour and succour through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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 it would help, if we were sincere in our pleas and promises. Much LOVE!
…let the weak say…I am strong…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
31 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parade eof false messiahs, all glory to our Lord and Saviour -Jesus Christ, all these things must come to pass, as the days of Noah, breathing His breath of life into us, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, but the end is not yet, creative flamboyant stubborn nature, curtailing their celebratory agenda, deliver you up to be afflicted, don't have to worry, experiencing the ravaging power of Covid 19, false religious cults, famines and pestilences and earthquakes, for my name's sake, hanging on to the end, hated of all nations, he that shall endure to the end, I don't have to hurry, in god's eyes, iniquity shall abound, killing us willy nilly, lawlessness, LOVE, many false prophets shall rise, many shall come in my name, martyrdom, nation shall rise against nation, not what I do, see that ye be not troubled, share His love with the world, still on His throne running things, T&T Independence Day, take heed that no man deceive you, the age of the Gentiles, the beginning of sorrows, the beloved of God, the brithplace of steelpan limbo kaiso and carnival, the church age, the coming of the Son of man be, the gospel shall be preached in all the world, the level of degradation, the Lord God Jehovah, the love of many shall wax cold, the same shall be saved, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what people say about me, work it all out for good to those who love Him, ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars
Matthew 24:13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Awright friends, it’s Tuesday! That means we got through Monday beautifully, with the help of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of course! And if He saw fit to keep on breathing His breath of life into us today, it obviously means He has a job for us to do, and will again help us get through today in fine shape and form! All glory to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And let’s not forget that this is the last day of August, which means that cooler weather is now in the offing, as the summer season winds down. It’s also Independence Day in T&T, that marvellous li’l twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago down in the Southern Caribbean, the birthplace of Steel Pan, Limbo, Kaiso and Carnival!
Now that tells us that they are the possessors of a very creative, flamboyant, colourful and stubborn nature. Consequently, we can be assured that despite the tight Covid 19 virus lockdown, there will be much celebration today in T&T. You can bet your bottom dollar on that! Even with Babylon out in full force, the Trinbagonians will find a way to celebrate, because celebration is just a part of their natural nature! (smile)
Anyway, we’re wishing them a safe and wonderful Independence Day, and hope that they will faithfully do whatever it takes to rid themselves of the Covid 19 virus as soon as possible, since it is curtailing their celebratory agenda. All those things above there for which they are famous have now been shut down causing endless loss in all sectors of life, so the sensible thing would be to try and get rid of the virus so that life can continue in in reasonable shape.
And that’s not a message for T&T alone, but for the whole world, because all of us are still experiencing the ravaging power of the virus or bacterium or whatever you choose to call it. And it doesn’t say much for the wisdom of man, the only creature who supposedly has brains to think, when we cannot come together and destroy a sickness that’s killing us willy nilly.
Yes friends, it’s awful to see us in strife over something that’s so deadly, instead of trying to come together, learn about it and rid our society of it. Just shows the level of degradation to which our world has fallen, when cooperation in a time of a serious pandemic is so sadly lacking. But thankfully, the Lord God Jehovah is still on His throne running things, and in the long run, He will make them all work out for good to those who LOVE Him! That’s what we people of faith in Christ Jesus have to depend on and look forward to; His ever-faithful promises to guide and lead us and eventually bring us into eternal fellowship with Him.
That brings us to these interesting words of Jesus to His disciples, re signs of the end times. ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’ (Matt. 24:4-8)
Ah mih people, right now we are certainly witnessing a lot of what Jesus spoke of there. And if that’s only ‘the beginning of sorrows,’ can you imagine what the end of sorrows will be like? Hn! Obviously not very nice! But let’s continue listening to Jesus. ‘Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted (see tribulation), and they shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (lawlessness) shall abound, the LOVE of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ (Matt. 24:9-14)
Now, that’s Jesus’ explanation of how things will wind down. And yuh better believe we have seen a lot of what He says increasingly happen down through the ages, but right now I believe it’s worse than it’s ever been. So, if we are wise, we would certainly put our house in order, for as Jesus also said of His Second coming. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Matt. 24:36-37)
Yes, just like how the people of Noah’s day were living in sinful oblivion, and the flood suddenly came and ended their good times, likewise Jesus’ Second Coming will be unexpected in a time of much sinful revelry. But let’s get back to those signs of the end time that Jesus spoke about, and try to put them into context with some explanations from the scholars.
‘24:5-14. Many shall come (vs. 5) refers to the parade of false messiahs who have now spanned the centuries of church history and have led many astray into false religious cults. Wars and rumours of wars (vs. 6) refers to peace being taken from the earth and the constant wars that have continually marked “the age of the Gentiles.” Famines and pestilences: (vs. 7) These events mark only the beginning of sorrows, “birth pangs.”
This is followed by martyrdom and the rise of false prophets and the abounding of iniquity. (vs. 9-12) The “gospel of the kingdom” (vs. 14) refers to the missionary expansion of the church in all the world. The gospel shall be preached in all the world, the inhabited world, and unto all nations, “Gentile nations,” as contrasted with the Jews. Then shall the end come would then refer to the end of the church age.’
And yuh know what mih bredrin? All those signs have happened, or are happening right now, but please note that last one, where the gospel will preached to all the inhabited world. That has been almost accomplished, and with the sudden rise in technological prowess, it won’t be long before that last sign is fulfilled. So please, let’s wake up and get ourselves together, for the day of reckoning is closer than it’s ever been. And as Jesus faithfully promised: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ End of sermon! (smile)
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to live right, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are, who we unequivocally belong to! Altogether now: ‘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 the world. Amen!’
And that’s exactly what we need to go out and do; trust our wonderful friend Jesus, and share His amazing LOVE with this crazy, ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…hanging on to the end is not easy…but with Jesus’ help…we can surely do it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a serenity to one's soul, curse, diligence, divine protection, everything I put my hands to, excellence, for my name's sake, former devotion to Christ, good friends, he that hath an ear let him hear, I know thy works, in this modern technological age, LOVE, negative word, promotion, rainy days bring peace and quiet, reviled by unbelieving Jews, spend a few quiet moments with your Maker, strong sense of purpose, the blessings of the New Jerusalmen, the Book of Revelation, the church at Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the futile busyness and unnecessary noise, the paradise of God, the second death, the synagogue of Satan, thou hast left thy first love, Thursday Blessings, to eat of the tree of life, to him that overcometh, what the Spirit says to the churches, will prosper and succeed
Revelation 2:7a. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rainy days and Thursdays always get me down! Now that’s not really true, because there’s nothing like a rainy day to bring peace and quiet to your life. A rainy day just seems to draw one closer to one’s Maker, in that it brings a serenity and calm to one’s soul and spirit. And that’s how I feel today, as we open with some heavenly blessings. It just seems that when the rain falls the world is not as noisy and busy, and do we ever need to lessen the futile busyness and unnecessary noise in this modern technological age.
So if it’s rainy in your area, please take a few quiet moments and spend with your Maker… and hopefully do less talking than listening, because I believe we tend to talk to God much more than we listen to Him, that’s why sometimes we take so long to get answers, He can’t get in a word edgeways. (smile) But since the Lord so generously gave us breath to face another glorious day on planet earth, let’s turn to the promise we made yesterday, to continue looking at some stuff from the Book of Revelation.
Yesterday we stopped where Christ told John to write down some messages to seven particular churches, to be sent by seven angels or messengers. We won’t go through them all, just some that I think are most important. And the first one is to the church at Ephesus: ‘Unto the angel (messenger) of the church at Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (lampstands). (Rev. 2:1)
The seven candlesticks which Jesus walks amidst represent the seven churches to which he has messages (1:11) The seven stars in His hands represent the angels of the seven churches. According to the scholars: ‘The angels may be either literal angels, each of which has a special guardian ministry toward one specific church (cf. Heb. 1:14), or the human leaders or pastors of these churches. Angel literally means “messenger.”
And Jesus continues: ‘I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience (perseverance), and how thou canst not bear (endure) them which are evil: and thou hast tried (tested) them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. And hast borne (persevered), and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted (become weary). Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first LOVE.’ (Rev. 2:2-4)
The scholars tell us that ‘The city of Ephesus was one of the most important commercial and religious cities in Asia Minor. The most famous temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) was located there. It was also John’s headquarters before his exile. Ephesus served as the “mother” church to the others, all of which were connected by the same Roman road. And though the church is commended because of its soundness of faith and its perseverance through persecution, its people have come under Christ’s discipline for having left (not lost) their first LOVE or former devotion to Christ.’
Does that sound familiar my people? I think it should, because a lot of us supposed believers are not as devoted to Christ as we used to be. Our devotion has dropped off at a time when it should be at it’s zenith! But as always, our Saviour offer us a lifeboat. ‘Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except (unless) thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.’ (Rev. 2:5-6)
Yes friends, the scholars tell us that the solution the Ephesian problem is threefold: ‘(1) remember your former devotion to Christ; (2) repent of the present lack of LOVE and devotion; and (3) return – that is, do the things that were characteristic of the devotion of the church in its earlier years. Christ threatens to discipline the church by removing its light (candlestick). Today, Ephesus is in ruins, and it’s church is gone.’
Now was Christ’s discipline a pertinent factor in the demise of the church at Ephesus? Who knows? But it’s surely a good question for us to contemplate in these ungodly times. And as per the Nicolaitans, the scholars say they ‘were probably a libertine, antinomian sect (rejects laws and moral values) who attempted to use Christian liberty as an excuse for self-indulgence and immorality.’
Then comes the second letter: ‘And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue (congregation) of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried (tested); and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Rev. 2:9-10)
A tough request that friends, but it’s also the same request the Lord is making of us today: stay faithful to the end, and He will bless us with a crown of eternal life. And just a few words from the scholars on the plight of Smyrna, ‘whose name meant “Myrrh” a fragrant spice for anointing dead bodies. It was a rich and beautiful city, some fifty miles north of Ephesus on the shores of the Aegean sea, whose believers were undergoing persecution and had been reduced to poverty. They were being reviled by unbelieving Jews. They received no condemnation from Christ but were encouraged to endure suffering faithfully. Faithful persecution through trials will bring a crown of life (cf. James 1:12). The second death is eternal destruction in the lake of fire (20:14-15), reserved for all unbelievers.’
Oh my people, our church life and devotion to Christ is definitely not up to scratch, and we do need to come up higher, especially in these troubled times. Please listen to what Jesus says after every message to a church: ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ It’s a straight up warning, and to each church He promises something different if they repent and/or stand strong.
To the church at Ephesus, He promises: ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.’ (Rev. 2:7) And the scholars explain that ‘the promise to him that overcometh probably applies to all Christians with genuine faith (cf. 1 John 5:4-5) and will be fulfilled as believers enjoy the blessing of the New Jerusalem (22:2,14), the paradise of God.’
To the church at Smyrna it was: ‘He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.’ (Rev. 2:11) And that’s the gospel truth friends! If we persevere in good faith with Christ until the very end, we will not be cast into the lake of fire. Now shouldn’t that give us a strong sense of purpose, especially as we draw near to the end of this church age? I should think so. But sadly, not all of us agree on that point. However, for those of us who do, let’s go home this rainy Thursday declaring (wrong again!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Our next move is to now go out and share those blessings just as generously as our heavenly Father shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the Lord does not expect perfection from His followers…but He does expect diligence, devotion and excellence from them…
P.S. Sorry for the length and lateness of the Bit, but I messed it up and had to rewrite it. Chuh! Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a part of the problem, an insurrectionist, be in full possession of all the facts, be in the world, be of good cheer, be very careful in our criticism, but not of the world, can lead a lot of people astray, chosen the side of the oppressor, Christ has overcome the world, consider ways to right the wrongs, disinformation, disturbing the rulers' easy life, draw your own conclusions, for my name's sake, for this reason, half tuths, has been resurrected, he hath showed thee, hearsay, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually, I love T&T more than any other country, if they have persecuted me, it is dangerous to be right, labelled a traitor, learn to do good, lies, like o social media, look to Jesus, LOVE, love mercy, morally treasonable to the T&T public, neutral in situations of injustice, never know the full story, no criticism of the Prime Minister, not a part of the solution, our friend Anselm, our sense of injustice should rise up, pass over judgement, plead for the wido, release the captive slaves, right is always stronger than might, right or wrong, Scrip-Bit friends and family, seek justice, the aplomb of Jesus, the LOVE of God, the servant is not greater than his lord, the unsound opinions of others, the wages of sin is death, there can be no forgiveness of sins, they will also persecute you, this real moron thing - thinking, to do justly, unpatriotic and servile, walk humbly with thy God, what doth the Lord require of thee, what is good, when the established authorities are wrong, without the shedding of blood, woe unto you Pharisees
John 15:20a. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you:
And a good, lazy Saturday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family, wherever you are in God’s great universe! Hope that you are having better weather than my snow-bound, bleak neighbourhood, but it’s all a part of life in this great country of Canada, so we’ll handle it with the aplomb of Jesus. (smile)
Anyway, there’s some good news to share today; our friend Anselm has been resurrected. Yes, he’s risen from whatever ailed him, and he’s sent us a full slate of quotes this week. A couple of them though are so highly politicized that I have no answer for them, so I’ll just throw them out there and let you draw your own conclusions. And we’ll get those out of the way early.
The first one says: ‘I LOVE Trinidad and Tobago more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.’ Yes, Anselm was born in T&T and apparently he still has a great affection for it, but what am I supposed to say about his claim that he has the right to criticize her in perpetuity eh?
I don’t know if you LOVE a country a lot that it gives you the right to criticize it. What I do know though is that we need to be very careful in our criticism, especially in these times of much negative opinions and criticism on all sorts of fronts, because most of us never know the full story behind whatever we are criticizing.
So although our criticism might look good and sound true, ofttimes it’s not the whole truth or even much of the truth and consequently can lead a lot of people astray, just like what’s happening on social media today with all the lies, half-truths and disinformation being bandied about there. It’s so bad in the U.S, that it’s causing rebellious tendencies there. So please be very careful with your criticism.
Then there’s this: ‘To announce that there must be no criticism of the Prime Minister, or that we are to stand by the Prime Minister, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the Trinidad and Tobago public.’ There we go again with the criticism regarding T&T. Brother Anselm must be in a real T&T frame of mind! (smile)
And again, all I can say is that our criticism must be fair, honest and truthful, though standing by the leader of a country, even when they are wrong, is not doing the country any positive service, just making matters worse. That’s been recently proven right down in the U.S of A, with ex-President Donald Trump making so many incorrect, lying and prejudicial statements that it has caused a large division and much disunity in the country.
Now listen to this one: ‘I do this real moron thing, and it’s called thinking. And apparently I’m not a very good Trinbagonian because I like to form my own opinions.’ My buddy Anselm seems intent on getting me into trouble with my fellow Trinbagonians. (smile) But thinking is a good thing, more of us should try it. (smile)
However, it’s also possible to overthink a situation, which could lead to personal opinions that are not welcomed by others. And again, let me remind us that before we form opinions, or better yet mouth them, we must be in full possession of all the facts. Sadly though, especially in governmental circles, the real truth, the true facts, are very difficult for the ordinary citizen to gather. All we usually get is a lot of hearsay and the unsound opinions of others.
Now don’t think that the other two quotes aren’t politically inclined nuh, but they can be handled biblically. And this is the first of the last two. ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.’
That last part is obvious; the oppressed are never impressed with neutrality. The first part is a tad trickier, although as a believer, once we see injustice our sense of justice should rise up and cause us to consider ways to right the obvious wrongs. How does the saying go? If you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem.
Likewise, if you see injustice been perpetrated and you say or do nothing, for whatever reason, it will certainly appear that you are on the side of the oppressor. But friends and followers of Jesus, we have been instructed by Jesus Himself to follow justice and to right wrongs wherever possible.
As He said to the Pharisees. ‘But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over (neglect) judgement (justice) and the LOVE of God: These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone (without neglecting the others).’ (Luke 11:42)
Yes friends, our God is a God of justice. Why do you think He sacrificed Jesus to pay for our sin debt eh? Because His just character would not allow sin to be forgiven without full payment, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. (Heb. 9:22)
And these two scriptures tell the story in spades. ‘Learn to do well (good); seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (correct oppression), judge (bring justice to) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:17) And Micah, puts it very plainly. ‘He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly (justice), and to LOVE mercy (kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God.’ (Mic. 6:8)
And that brings us to our last quote: ‘It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.’ And that’s oh so true! Jesus is also a very good example of that. He came to earth to bring justice and salvation, to heal the sick, care for the poor and release the captive slaves of darkness. All these things went against the very grain of the both the ruling Romans and their Jewish lackeys.
So what happened? Jesus found Himself on the wrong side of the authorities because His philosophy did not match theirs. Consequently, although He had done no wrong, but simply because He was disturbing the rulers’ easy life, He was labelled a traitor, an insurrectionist and quickly removed from their sight by crucifixion.
Please note too friends, that as believers in, and followers of Christ, we are often on the wrong side of the authorities, so we too can also expect persecution and problems just because of that. Jesus warned His disciples, and consequently us, of the world’s hatred.
‘Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they kept my saying, they will keep yours too. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.’ (John 15:20-21)
That brings it all to the forefront my brethren. Remember, we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world, and that very fact alone will cause us problems. So be prepared, but also remember that Christ has already overcome the world, so please be of good cheer. Much LOVE!
…eventually…right is always stronger than might…so in wisdom…please look to Jesus…
30 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook, a rock and a hard place, a sound mind, agony, anguish, brings Jesus to his knees, Coronavirus pandemic, courage, creativity, crucifixion, current reality, curse, divine protection, economic situation, endurance, face the cross, faith, favour, for my name's sake, freedom, Garden of Gethsemane, Good to Great, he that endureth to the end, holy spirit, hour of greatest need, Jim Collins, lost their hope, LOVE, medical safety, negative word, of all men, of power, optimists, pessimists, prevail in the end, prisoner of war, promotion, prosper, sanity, shall be saved, Stockdale Paradox, succeed, the defining event of my life, the devil and the deep blue sea, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, torture, turn the experience, what a bam bam, win the crown, wisdom, ye shall be hated
Matthew 10:22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Welcome friends, to Thursday April 30 in the year of our Lord 2020 – the year of the Coronavirus pandemic! Unfortunately, some three months in, the deadly virus is still causing havoc and confusion amongst us. Nothing much has changed. We still don’t know anything much about it, but everybody has their opinions. Hn! What a bam bam! Now the panic is increasingly becoming not only about contracting the virus, but more about work, money and food, as a serious shortage is beginning to show up in those vital areas.
And believe me, I wouldn’t want to be a political leader in these times at all, because the virus has dropped them right between the proverbial rock and a hard place, the devil and the deep blue sea, for now the decision has to be made between the medical and economic fronts; either save people and keep social distancing going, or save the economy and open back up the business, which at this crucial time could lead to a worsening of the medical situation. You’re damned if you do either, because there are strong sentiments in the populace for both actions. So friends, let’s pray that our leaders get it right yes, else we’re in for a long, extremely difficult time.
But here’s something I heard a preacher recently talk about, something called the Stockdale Paradox, coined by the author Jim Collins in his book ‘Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t.’ And does it ever seem rather appropriate to our current situation. Apparently Admiral Stockdale, a Navy Pilot spent seven years as a Vietnam prisoner of war and surprisingly he witnessed that those prisoners who were optimists were dying before the pessimists, because after several disappointing episodes of predicting freedom, they lost their hope and gave up. The pessimists, already without hope just went about their business in pessimistic fashion and died off as expected. (smile)
When asked how he managed to keep his sanity and faith, despite several severe bouts of torture, the Admiral replied: ‘I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.’ Imagine thinking and doing that in a prisoner of war camp nuh! And he added: ‘You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.’
What words of awesome wisdom my people! Words that I believe will certainly help us in these scary and confusing times. Faith will allow us to believe that we will eventually prevail, but we must also be wise and disciplined enough to recognize and confront the hard and unrelenting facts of what we’re currently going through. I think we saw that principle magnificently epitomized in Jesus, especially during His torment in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion.
Yes, as a human being, He was terrified of having to face the cross, so much so that three times He prayed ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.’ (Luke 22:42.) The Good Book further says: ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44) Yeh friends, Jesus certainly didn’t have it easy.
And the scholars offer these interesting explanations: ‘22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch. Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish.’
But as the Son of Man, the Son of God, Jesus knew that was His major purpose for coming to earth was to be the sacrificial lamb for sin, and He really couldn’t escape it. He also knew though that He would win the battle eventually and be resurrected victoriously from the grave. So like Admiral Stockdale said, He didn’t lose faith, although things seemed rather dim, but also faced the reality of His crucifixion, knowing that He would win in the end. And that’s the exact kind of behaviour we believers need to exhibit in these trying times my brethren!
We know that we will win in the end, Jesus has promised it: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ So we need now to hold on tightly to that promise, while wisely facing our current reality. Remember our motto for this Covid-19 season: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power (His Holy Spirit), and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7) Let’s use them nuh. And in addition to those attributes, we also have our Thursday Blessings, such wonderful blessings that God has also given to us so we can perform His awesome work down here on planet earth.
So let’s declare them now nuh, in strong voice, with truly sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and generously share those blessings as the Lord greatly desires. Much LOVE!
…strong faith…with wisdom…and endurance…win the crown every time…
20 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lazy day, Anselm, as sheep in the midst of wolves, be wise as serpents, buy into his vision, charisma, charm, Christ's salvation, Christians, deceit, dismal stain, drop their livelihood, eligible for a prize, endure to the end, ever-faithful promise, everyone has an opinion, extinguished on our watch, false information, follow me, for my name's sake, he that endureth to the end, I send you forth, I will make you fishers of men, innocent as doves, intelligent people, James, lies, lucrative position, not remembering the Lord's works, one must finish the race, passed to us, people buy into the leader, quiet and calm, reliability, shall be saved, sleep in, social media, stand strong, strength under control, tax man, the baton, the glowing torch, the next generation, the son of zebedee, the true word, trust, when to listen, when to speak, ye shall be hated of all men, you will get through it
Matthew 10:22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Ah friends, Saturday, the day of all days! (smile) What’s on the agenda for today eh? For most of us it’s sleeping in, then a lazy day on the couch, or fun and games, barbecuing and enjoying the summer weather. For others though it can mean a busy day at home; cleaning and washing and replenishing groceries and stuff; possibly harder work than what you get paid to do during the week. (smile)
But that’s how life goes, and once you have Jesus walking in you and with you, then you don’t have to worry about getting whatever job it is done. Oh yes, it might be somewhat difficult, but you’re assured that with Jesus’ help, you will get it done successfully! All praise and glory to our great and wonderful God for the help He gives to us frail and mortal humans!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s see what gems of wisdom our friend Anselm sent us this week nuh, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this one: ‘Life is too short to waste in the company of those who can’t wait to put you down. Let them say what they want. Their opinions aren’t your problem. Keep doing good, as you’ve always done. No matter what they do or say, don’t doubt who you are and what you’re doing.’
That’s wise advice friends! In this current mish-mash world, people are only too glad to put you down once you’re trying to improve yourself and your situation. Possibly because of jealousy, or their own laziness, they don’t want you to rise above them. But once you’re sure of who and whose you are, that you belong to Jesus, for you were bought with a high price, that of His precious blood, then you can ignore all the naysayers and go about Jesus’ business with confidence.
And then there’s this: ‘Being quiet and calm doesn’t mean you’re weak. Such people show strength that’s under control. The most intelligent people know when to speak, know when to listen, and know when to be quiet.’ Oh what truth my brethren!
But unfortunately, with the current burst of technology that makes communication so easy, everyone has an opinion on everything and are not bashful to share it, thus the great explosion of social media and the large amount of nonsense, endless talking, false information, lies and deceit they provoke.
Now here’s a gem: ‘You’ve been in situations where you thought you’d never make it out, but you did. You’ve lived through it, you’ve learned from it and you survived. So whatever it is that you’re currently going through right now, you can and will get through it if you are determined to push thru.’
Yes my faithful brethren. We’ve lived through numerous times of adversity and trouble, but with the Lord’s help we got through them all, stronger and more mature. So why worry about whatever tough situation you’re experiencing now eh? It’s a problem too many Christians face; not turning back and remembering what the Lord brought us through, and realizing and believing that if He’s done it a million times already, He’ll do it a zillion times in the future, for that’s His awesome, unbreakable and ever-faithful promise.
And I particularly like the last two quotes, which fit together quite nicely. The first says: ‘People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.’ That’s an undeniable fact! That’s possibly because of the leader’s charisma or charm, or some sense of trust and reliability that they exude. There’s no better example of that than Jesus. Look at how He chose His first four disciples:
‘And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers (fishermen). And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.
And going on from thence, he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in a ship with Zebedee their father mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt.4:18-22)
Ah mih people, those fishermen must have seen something in Jesus to just drop their livelihood and follow him, the last two leaving their poor father to manage on His own. And Jesus called Matthew the same way. Matthew was sitting at his tax office, adding up his money, when Jesus passed by and said to him, ‘Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.’ (Matt.9:9)
Now who in their right mind would give up the lucrative position that the tax man held back in those olden times to follow some itinerant preacher eh, and more importantly why? But Matthew did it, so he must have seen something in Jesus or felt some abnormal pull to just give up his lucrative tax job to become a fisher of men.
Now the last quote says: ‘Leadership is not wielding authority — it’s empowering people.’ And that’s exactly how a true leader ought to operate. If you’re secure in yourself and your authority and power, then there’s no need to blatantly wield said power. What you need to do is raise up your followers so that they too can embrace your vision and help you bring it to fruition.
And again, Jesus is the best example of empowering leadership. He knew who He was, and what power He had, and realized that He could not proselytize the whole world on His own, so He brought together the twelve most unlikely candidates to help Him, and over a three year period He taught them and empowered them, so that they could go out and do His work after He was gone.
I like how He told them: ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.’ (Matt.10:16) Imagine telling your workers that nowadays nuh! I doubt you’d have too many after that. And that did happen to Jesus. When some of them saw how difficult the task was, they simply quit.
Furthermore, He warned them thus: ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.’ Oh friends, those are indeed tough statements to hear and bear, and they still pertain to us today. But please note that the true disciples bought into Jesus’ vision and did withstand all the trials and tribulations they encountered to spread His Word.
And they did such a wonderful job, that two thousand years later, despite all sorts of problems, that magnificent and true Word has come down to us, with all the same provisos and tough conditions.
Yes friends, the baton, the glowing torch of Christ’s salvation, has now been passed to us, to keep it burning, until we pass it on to the next generation. Please, I implore us, don’t let it be said that that eternal torch was extinguished on our watch! That would be such a dismal stain on our report card. Let’s stand strong and endure to the end! Much LOVE!
…to be eligible for a prize…one must finish the race…
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