14 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all my hope and peace, almost all things, are by the law purged with blood, Bible, cleanseth us from all sin, enhances our souls, enter into the presence of a holy God, faith, fellowship, fellowship with each other, for my cleansing this my plea, for my pardon, forgiveness, forgiveness of sins, from which everything flows, god, God's sinless Son, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justification, LOVE, made peace, New Covenant, no other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, once and for all time, precious is the flow, propitiation, ransomed by the blood, reah my home, redeemed, redeemed with corruptible things, redemption, remission of sins, right standing with God, righteousness, Robert Lowry, salvation, shedding his own blood, sweet sacrifices of praise, that makes me white as snow, the blood of Christ, the death and resurrection of Christ, the forbearance of God, the riches of his grace, through the blood of the cross, to reconcile all things, walk in the light, what can make me whole again, what can wash away my sin, wisdom, without the shedding of blood is no remission
Hebrews 9:22. And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).
Sunday, oh Sunday, it’s so good to encounter you once again! For you are one of the very best days of the week. You take me to the Lord’s sanctuary, where I give Him thanks and praise in concert with other worshippers, and He enhances our souls and spirits with His awesome Word, filled with many great promises and doings, especially that of the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, from which everything in our Christian lives flows.
And to celebrate our fellowship today, we’ll sing a much favoured and very doctrinally important hymn, titled, ‘Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’ It’s a traditional American hymn about the blood atonement and propitiation for sin by the death of Jesus, composed in the late 19th century by hymn writer, Baptist Minister and Bucknell University Professor, Robert Lowry. And since we’re all anxious to sing this much LOVED and oh so important hymn, let’s get right to it, and raise our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, heart and gut-wrenching version, that will let all the world, and heaven too, see that we’re very sincere about Christ in our great LOVE and appreciation for Him!
Singing: ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.) For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)
This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Now by this I’ll overcome; Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Now by this I’ll reach my home, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Glory! Glory! This I sing; Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing but the Blood…Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’
And there’s no greater truth in this world my fellow believers! No! For nothing but the precious, spilled blood of Jesus Christ; God’s sinless Son, on the cross of Calvary can wash away mankind’s abominable sins. And that’s the very reason the Father sent Him to earth. And why was that necessary? Because as Romans 6:23 tells us, the just penalty of human sin against God is death. But as Hebrews writes: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).’ (Heb. 9:22)
That means for any forgiveness of sins to occur, blood must be shed. However, the death of sanctioned animals used in the Old Testament, through the offering of their blood was only a temporary reprieve, and every year, the High Priest had to go into the Holy of Holies and make atonement for the sins of the people (Heb. 9:7 & 25) since ‘It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.’ (Heb. 10:4)
And according to one commentator: ‘The repeated animal sacrifices were delaying the inevitable, waiting on God’s fullness of times. One day a final reckoning for sin must come. Christians, of course, believe and celebrate that now in Christ, and under the terms of a new covenant, the reckoning has come. Jesus willingly “offered himself” (Heb. 9:14) by “once for all” shedding “his own blood” (Heb. 9:12), bringing to its intended completion the temporary covenant that came before (the old covenant) and inaugurating in its place an “eternal or everlasting covenant,” (Heb. 13:20), which we call the new covenant.’
Now there are a few questions on the subject that have been asked down through the ages, like; why is blood so important in the human’s life, and what does it symbolize in the Bible? Blood is the ONLY part of our body that is continually on the move, it continually courses through our bodies, and any time it stops flowing, or we lose it all, like it drained out of Jesus’ body on the cross, then our life also ceases. ‘And so, blood is the premier biblical symbol of life.’ Then there’s this question: Does the blood of Jesus cover us from all sin? Yes. John in His first epistle tells us: ‘But if we walk in the light, as he (God) is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth (purifies, covers) us from ALL sin.’ (1 John 1:7) And why do we need to be covered by the blood of Jesus? ‘The blood of Jesus is the covering that allows us to enter into the presence of a perfect and holy God.’
And it’s generally recognized that the blood of Jesus does 5 basic things for us. The first one is propitiation for our sins; to remove God’s righteous wrath from humanity. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Rome. ‘(Christ Jesus) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (mercy seat, atonement) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (forgiveness) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’ (Rom. 3:25) Then there’s Justification; to bring us into right standing with God. Bruh Paul writes, again to the Romans: ‘Much more then, (having) being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’ (Rom. 5:9) What about Redemption, or the purchasing of our freedom? Bruh Paul writes thus to the Ephesians: ‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph. 1:7)
There’s also forgiveness; to restore our best relationship. And to the Ephesians, Bruh Paul notes: ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (once) were far off and made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ.’ (Eph. 2:13) What about pacification, or peace with God Himself? Bruh Paul writes to the Colossians. ‘For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness (deity) dwell. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in (on) earth, or things in heaven.’ (Col. 1:19-20)
Yes friends, by Christ’s death, God reconciled the universe to Himself. Finally, we’ve been ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Peter writes in his first epistle. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
And there we have it my fellow saints, some of the basic things that the blood of Christ has done for us, and overall, why it’s ever so important in our Christian faith! So, please, let’s spend some time today meditating on the incomparable blood of Christ and how it affects us as believers’ in His holy name. Much LOVE!
…the blood…oh the blood…there’s nothing like the sinless blood of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bible, Easter Tuesday, except a man be born again, faith, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, forgiveness, Goat races in Tobago, god, God so loved the world, Good Friday, hatred, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, he gave his only begotten son, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, in god's eyes, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, parties galore, quells the spontaneity, raucous, share His love with my neighbours, should not perish but have everlasting life, spontaneous, strife, the abundant life, the beloved of God, the exorbitant price to pay for sin, the Messiah, the ramifications of Easter, to be forgiven one needs to forgive, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly transgressions, whosoever believeth in him, wisdom, worry
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Then it was Easter Tuesday, time to get back to working for a living, therefore, most of the Easter hoopla has now been toned down. But not the celebrated Easter Tuesday Goat Races in that picturesque, seaside village of Buccoo in sweet Tobago. Ah friends, that’s gotten so big and popular now that in recent years they built a stadium to house those goat races. I remember the days when it used to be just an open field in the village betwixt some houses, with parties galore happening all around, and people standing along the side lines, shouting for their favourite goat or crab.
Obviously the event was much more raucous and spontaneous. But apparently, as things grow bigger, they need to be better handled and managed, thus the building of the stadium. However, to a certain extent that quells the natural spontaneity of the event, making it less colourful. But in some quarters, that’s called progress, (smile) and as it’s still a colourful event, we’ll see you later down in Buccoo at the Goat Races. Party Time!
Now let’s get serious about the real ramifications of this Easter weekend. On Good Friday, Christ sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that our sin debt could be paid in full. That was the exorbitant price required by the Father for that situation to be solved. And Christ paid it without any hard feelings, despite the gross ‘sufferation’ He was forced to endure. As Isaiah so rightly says: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is. 53:6)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord laid ALL of our abominable sins on the shoulders of Christ that Good Friday day two thousand years ago. Meaning He was totally weighed down with, and made responsible for our ungodly transgressions. That means we now have forgiveness of our sins. However, that doesn’t come automatically or naturally. No! As Jesus said to the Jewish Leader, Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. … Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (John 3:3, 5)
Now, that means to be forgiven of our sins and thus be able to enter in God’s kingdom we also have to do something. And what’s that, you ask? Listen to Jesus tell it. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.’ (John 3:16-18)
There you have it friends; what we need to do so that we can be saved. It’s simple and straightforward: Believe in Christ Jesus! Believe that He is the Son of God; the promised Messiah; be born again of the Holy Spirit and be baptized in water, as an outward show of our inner sincerity! That makes us saved and eligible to enter heaven. But within that new born again life there are a couple of things that are necessary to live the Christian life; the life Christ died for us to have. As He says: ‘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.’ (John 10:10)
So, if we believe in Jesus and live the way He desires of us, we will have an abundant life beginning right down here on earth. But before we move on to heavenly matters, (smile) there is one earthly thing we must remember and get absolutely right, and it deals with the forgiveness of sins. Christ died so that that could be achieved, that we could renew a right relationship with the Father, but there’s one codicil to it, that regarding the sins of the individual. Jesus specifies it quite plainly in His Sermon on the Mount, when teaching His disciples to pray. It’s this simple but ever so important line of what we call the Lords’ Prayer. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12)
Oh my people, that is the most important thing we need to remember and do after we believe in Jesus. Otherwise, He continues: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. Forgiveness of other’s sins against us must be meted out, if we want forgiveness from our heavenly Father. But sadly, in this strife-filled, angry and hateful world, unforgiveness is one of the major drawbacks in turning things around.
Our human selfishness is showing up ever so greatly with our refusal to forgive others the way we want the Lord to forgive us. And that’s what causing so much of the negativity in our embattled and turbulent world. Now we all know that a lot of harsh and hurting things are done each and every day to numerous people, and it’s very difficult to forgive some of those trespasses, but the fact is that we must try, through prayer and heavenly help, if we want our own sins to be forgiven and our world to therefore become a better place.
And it’s so sad to realize that much of the strife and hatred now in place began centuries ago, and some of those now involved in the negativity don’t even know what they’re really fighting and hating for. That’s how bad our inhumanity and unforgiveness has become. What more can I say eh friends, when these days, finding a country where there’s no strife or very little, is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. And unfortunately, things will not get better until we begin forgetting and forgiving the sins and trespasses of our individual neighbors and those worldwide.
And if God spares life, tomorrow we’ll continue with the heavenly mattes we spoke about earlier on. (smile) But for those of us who are trying to live the abundant life in these tough circumstances, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock 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, it now becomes our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to be forgiven…one needs to forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stubborn streak of disbelief, believe it when I see it, Bible, cast him into prison, climate change, debtor's prison, do also unto you, downfall of our society, endure to the very end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, forgiveness, forgiveness breeds forgiveness, God's total forgiveness, hands on the plough, have had compassion on thy fellow servant, have patience with me, hold our heads and bawl, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, if ye from your hearts, Jesus, Jesus Christ, likewise shall my heavenly Father, LOVE, mercy, not looking back, our sin debts' been paid by Christ, set free for sin forever, spring has sprung, sunshine lollipops and roses, thank God, Thank You Jesus!, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the parable of the unforgiving servant, the principle of forgiveness, the sins of the individual sinner, to a glorious future with Jesus, unforgiveness, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your trespasses
Matthew 18:35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses…!’ Well, we haven’t really reached the roses part as yet, but we’re certainly having sunshine and lollipops! Ah friends, they’re trying hard to make me believe that spring has actually sprung, and on this 13th day of March with temps already around 15 degrees Celsius, and bright sunshine splays it’s warmth and glorious light all over the neighbourhood, I am getting closer to believing. And yes, during the course of my many years in this climate, I’ve seen strange things happen at strange times, like snow in June, but I’m not quite ready to believe that spring has truly sprung at this early stage of the year.
In this case, I’m running with the world; I’ll believe it when I see it. (smile) And though I may be able to sit on my porch this afternoon for the first time this year, and watch people pass by, for the walkers will certainly be out today, a stubborn streak of disbelief keeps floating around in me. But I guess them’s the breaks. And I’ll just have to learn to handle it, all the while hoping that climate change proves me wrong (smile) In the meantime let’s see what the Bible has to offer this spring-like Wednesday morning. And it opened unto the parable of the unforgiving servant in the gospel of Matthew.
Now, unforgiveness is one of the biggest downfalls of our modern society. And in this parable Jesus expands on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, after He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, which has this seminal statement smack dab in the middle of it. ‘And forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us.’ (Matt. 6:12) Then Jesus follows that up with these memorable words. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15)
Oh my people, that is so plain and without any subterfuge, that even a fool ought to be able to understand it! If we don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Lord will not forgive us our trespasses. That’s so straightforward, yet so many of us supposed believers still hold unforgiveness, and all that it entails, in our hearts against others, yet go to God and ask for forgiveness of our sins! How foolish and hypocritical is that eh! And in order to reinforce the power and importance of the principle of forgiveness Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant.
This servant, one who handled the Lord’s money, owed him some ten thousand talents, which amounts to millions of dollars in today’s money, and when the Lord called for payment, the servant was unable to pay, so the Lord ordered him and his family and all he had to be sold until payment was made. The Bible tells us then, that ‘The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him (prostrated himself), saying Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him (released him), and forgave him the debt.’ (Matt. 18:26-27)
Now that’s what you call forgiveness! Forgiving millions of dollars’! Wow! That sure was a big-hearted lord! However, the story continues thus: ‘But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence (approx.10 dollars): and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that (what) thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought (begged) him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.’ (Matt. 18:28-30)
Now that ought to make us hold our heads and bawl, although it’s exactly what happens in our selfish and unforgiving world today. But before we get further into the story, I want to raise one question of my own, one that has me shaking my head every time I hear about debtor’s prison. To my way of thinking, if you throw the debtor into prison until he pays the debt, how can he pay it locked up in jail, if he couldn’t pay it when he was outside? If you’re locked up you can’t work, there’s no way of making money, at least in the jails they had back then. Wouldn’t it be wiser to leave them out and allow them to work and so earn the money to repay the debt? But that’s just my crazy, eccentric way of thinking. (smile)
Anyway, when the other servants saw the unforgiving attitude of their fellowman, they went and told it to the Lord. Then the Lord called him and said: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35)
Oh friends, that’s what happens when we are forgiven, and don’t forgive! And the moral of the story? The One to whom the insurmountable debt is owed is our heavenly Father. The debts are the sins of the individual sinner, which none of us can ever repay. But instead of placing us in debtor’s prison, the Lord shows great compassion and forgives or cancels our debts, our sins. And per the scholars: ‘The picture illustrates God’s total forgiveness when dealing with our sins at the point of salvation. The debt has been paid by Christ and we are set free from it forever.’
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE and worship Your Holy Name!’ And if that’s really true, then let’s see us be more forgiving than we currently are nuh. Let’s be big of heart like our heavenly Father. For remember, if you don’t forgive, He won’t forgive you either. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our marvelous position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Then there’s this proviso, the promise that if we endure right down to the very end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to be there at the very end nuh! Much LOVE!
…forgiveness breeds forgiveness…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, accumulation of earthly wealth, Baby Boomers, become unfruitful, choke the word, curse, eternal life, every day I will bless thee, faith, fear, forgiveness, god, God's Unsearchable Greatness, grace, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, he that heareth the word, he who hath ears to hear let him hear, I will bless thy name for ever and ever, I will extol thee my God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my neck of the woods, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than yours, my ways are not your ways, negative word, no deep roots, no deepness of earth, one generation shall praise thy works to another, persecution, praise, promulgated by satan, psalms, receives it with joy, repentance, self-control, some seed fell on stony places, stumbles, success, sunshine, supernatural strength, the breath of life, the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the parable of the sower, Thursday Blessings, tribulation, wisdom, withered away
Psalm 145:1. I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
And it’s a beautiful Thursday morning in my neck of the woods; sunshine and fairly warm temperatures! What more can one ask eh? All praise to God who looks after His people with LOVING care! (smile) And for the first time this week I don’t have anywhere to go or anything to do out the street. Glory Be! So I can just take my lazy ole time and do whatever I want to do here at home. So what shall we talk about today eh? Hang on a sec, let’s see where the Good Library opens…
Voila! It opened unto the Book of Psalms! And we will look at Psalm 145, a Psalm of Praise by Bruh David, titled – God’s Unsearchable Greatness. And is He ever great, and His greatness not understandable or appreciated by the puny minds of His most important creation. But Bruh David had some inclination of the Lord’s greatness, that’s why he writes: ‘I will extol (praise) thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps. 145:1-2)
Yes mih people, that’s what we need to do each and every day that we draw breath on God’s great earth; praise Him, bless His holy name! And why is that you ask? Bruh David tells us as he continues: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable.’ (Ps. 145:3) And though we might not know exactly how great our God is, because of our finite minds, we ought to know that He’s much greater than us, because He made us, with His own hands, and breathe the breath of His life, His Spirit into our bodies, and still controls our every move down here on planet earth.
And if we cannot comprehend the Lord’s greatness on our own, then He’s told us about it in no uncertain terms through the prophet Isaiah. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Now that’s telling us! But some of us still foolishly refuse to believe Him and try to go our own way, but eventually fall so low that we can no longer help ourselves and have to turn to Him in frustration, fear and repentance and ask for His forgiveness, grace and mercy.
That’s why it’s so unwise to turn away from Almighty God, for when we’re flat on our faces, through disobedience and the tribulations of the world, He is the ONLY One, capable of, and ever-willing to lift us up from the mire and restore our fallen selves and broken dreams. That’s why Bruh David writes for our edification: ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare (steups!!!) thy mighty acts.’ (Ps. 145:4) Now that’s how the Lord’s greatness is supposed to be passed down from one generation to another, and has finally reached us.
Unfortunately though, our generation, Baby Boomers, or whatever we’re called, is certainly not doing a good enough job in passing it down to our children, the next generation, for too many of them have become ungodly. And why is that eh? Many of us parents have turned away from God, through the many foolish beliefs and ideas that are currently permeating our world, all promulgated by his satanic majesty, and even many of us who claim to believe, are too busy with the things of the world, accumulating earthly wealth and power and whatever, so that the truth of God and His word consequently falls by the wayside.
It’s like Jesus’ parable of the Sower, where ‘Some (of the seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith (immediately) they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth (no deep roots): And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had not root, they withered away. And some (of the seed) fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked them. (Matt. 13:5-7)
Or as explained by Jesus: ‘But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (immediately) with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root himself, but dureth (only endures) for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended (he immediately stumbles). He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’ (Matt. 13:20-22)
Yes friends, unfortunately, those two kinds of believers form a large part of our Christian brotherhood today. While what we desperately need are many more where seed fell on good ground and brought forth fruit.’ (Matt. 13:8) Please pay attention though to how Jesus ends the parable, with the warning ‘He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt. 13:9) And per the seed that fell on good ground, Jesus explains: ‘But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth (produces), some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.’ (Matt. 13:23)
Oh my my, that is exactly what these turbulent and unconventional times call for; sincere believers who are helping others to come to Christ and thus be able to enjoy the abundant life that He sacrificed His sinless life for us to have here on earth, with the eventuality of eternal life with Him. And the first step in it all my fellow saints, is to praise God’s name, then live the life that will show the unbelievers that we’re serious and sincere, not the hypocrites that many of them so rightly takes us for. Now let’s go home declaring (yes!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so we can activate the generous blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now that we’ve activated those undeserved blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them to benefit others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…even if you don’t know Him personally…it’s wise to praise who ever created this awesome universe and all therein…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, common sense, curse, eternal life, faith, fear hath torment, forgiveness, God is LOVE, he who loveth God love his brother also, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE is of God, love made perfect, Love makes the world go round, made perfect in love, material wealth, negative word, no man hath seen God, perfect love casteth out fear, reconciliation, sacrificed His sinless life, self-control, self-discipline, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, the light of the world, the propitiation for our sins, the salt of the earth, the year of the Love Revolution, Thursday Blessings, wisdom
1 John 4:21. And this commandment have we from him (Jesus), That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.
Ah friends, I can’t believe that it’s already Thursday, and the eleventh day of this new month and year. But it does seem as though time intends to go just as quickly this year as it did in 2023, and we just have to be ready to go along with it as speedily as it does, else we’re going to miss out on a whole lot of important things, times and places. (smile) That means we need to get our acts together as soon as possible; quit all laziness and procrastination, while sincerely petitioning the Lord for wisdom and discernment to know His holy will, and the strength to action it in His perfect timing.
Remember, this is the year of the LOVE Revolution, where we Christians turn things around in a big way; where we truly become the light of the world and the salt of the earth, give up all the foolish dreams of material wealth and power and concentrate on spreading the good news gospel of Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we could have forgiveness, reconciliation and eternal life with Him and the Father! Wow! What a titanic year this 2024 will be in the annals of Christianity! It will be like the awesome beginning of the church on Pentecost Day where the amazing power of the Holy Ghost was displayed and people flocked to become believers in Christ!
Yes, my fellow believers, that’s the kind of heroic year our Lord and Savour expects from us. And there really shouldn’t be any need for Jesus to expect big things from us this year nuh, because common sense alone ought to tell us that if we don’t make a big splash this year, then our world will most likely explode or implode with all the anger, hatred, violence and evildoing that’s currently cycloning in it! So, it’s also in our best interest to ramp up our efforts and make the LOVE Revolution a reality. For you know where true LOVE exists, hatred and violence and all the other negative attributes of the enemy cannot take root.
And as I was just considering where to go from here, I opened the Good Library, and lo and behold it opened on John’s first epistle where he admonishes us to LOVE one another. And I said ‘Yes!’ that’s perfect, because we cannot conduct a LOVE Revolution without having LOVE for ourselves and each other! However when I read it, I found it too long and worthwhile to paraphrase and cut up, so I decided we should simply read the whole thing. (smile) So please read with me.
‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another; for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE, In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
Now friends, there is no refuting that solid logic! God LOVED us first and sent Christ to save us, so the expectation that we would LOVE Him in return, and also LOVE our fellow man, is very reasonable. Then John continues with his logical reasoning. ‘No man hath seen God at any time. If we LOVE one another, God dwelleth in us, and his LOVE is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.’ (1 John 4:12-13) And what a wonderful gift is the power of the Holy Spirit, which leads and guides us in the will of God! Second only to the gift of Jesus himself!
John then testifies: ‘And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.’ (1 John 4:14) Oh my people, John wasn’t talking from hearsay, but from what he had actually seen and experienced. He had actually walked with Christ, the Son of God on this earth. That gives him good reason to expound on the subject. ‘Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us: God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE dwelleth (abides) in God, and God in him. Herein is our LOVE made perfect (is LOVE made perfect among us), that we may have the boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:15-17)
Yes friends, LOVE is the greatest attribute there is, and therefore it ought to be a dominant characteristic of believer’s hearts. Then, if God dwells in us, and we in Him, we ought to have total assurance of our positive position, and not fear the upcoming day of judgement. That’s why John could therefore continue: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Now here are some explanations from the scholars on that rather important verse. They say: re ‘fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on the dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still a part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’ Of course not! But we don’t have to fear what happens in the end times.
John then reasons: ‘We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen?’ (1 John 4:19-20) Now that’s a very good question my brethren! And if we follow John’s logic, then there are many liars among the believers. For many of us claim to LOVE God, but don’t have the time of day for our fellow believers, couldn’t give a hoot about them. Now that’s not the LOVE of God.
That’s why John ends with this verse. ‘And this commandment have we from him (Jesus), That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:21) That’s just how it ought to be my fellow saints. And if it isn’t, then we need to go to the Father and ask for help to fix it. Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings, so that we can activate those undeserved blessings the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work! As one voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And since we’ve activated those blessings, it’s now our duty to go out and use them to help others come to Christ! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is what makes the world go round…from God to us…and from us to our fellow man…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: but ye are washed, cleansing of our sins by the blood of Jesus, forgiveness, Friday chant, from glory to glory, he is a new creation, if any man be in Christ, introduce a new flock of believers, Jesus' Second Coming, justification, LOVE, negative setbacks, omnipotent help, positive answers to prayer, positive changes, recociliation, redemption, return backsliders to your fold, sanctification, sanctify the people with his own blood, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, suffered without the gate, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the best laid plans of men and mice, the blood of Jesus, usually go astray, wake up and and smell the coffee, wise gudiance, ye are sanctified
Hebrews 13:12.Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify (set apart, make holy) the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate.
Dear friends, let me apologize for the lateness of the bit right up front. But as you know, the best laid plans of men and mice usually go astray. (smile) I had intended to get up early and do the Bit before going to a mid-morning doctor’s appointment, but obviously that did not happen. Then, you obviously have to wait to see the medic, because they are always running behind schedule. And after seeing him, there were unexpected X rays, followed by the overdue pharmacy visit to pick up medication, not to mention the Friday afternoon traffic in summer-like 25 degrees Celsius weather, this first real hot weekend of the year. But unfortunately, spring temps are expected back by Sunday.
And I know you’ve long since declared (awright!!!) your ‘TGIF’s’ Thank God it’s Friday!’ But since I’ve been gone from around 10.30 to almost 2.p.m, all I can say is, ‘Thank God, I’m back home!’ Now that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! (smile) So let’s get down to brass tacks. Yesterday we spoke about some of the things that Jesus’ death and resurrection did for us; namely redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and sanctification. We covered the first three and promised to do the other two today, provided the Lord gave us health and strength to do it. And it appears as though He has, so let’s keep the promise. (smile)
Now, in talking about justification yesterday, that’s been made right with God, through the righteousness of Christ, we touched on the subject of reconciliation, (Rom. 5:10-11) but that was not the scripture I wanted to share on reconciliation, which is basically a reuniting or bringing of two parts or people into agreement. And the scripture I want to share comes from Bruh Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he expounds. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit (that is) God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (on His behalf), be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
Oh friends, those verses cover a whole lot of ground, but it’s important to realize that it was ALL God’s doing, ALL His wanting to reconnect with His human creation, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, as Bruh Paul intimates, the door has been reopened for us to reconnect with God, but it still depends on us to come to Him in reconciliation, through acceptance of His wonderful Son.
Now, as per sanctification; that simply means, being set apart, being made holy, or in the image of Christ, which is the Lord’s desire for all who follow His Son. One commentary explains it thus: ‘The Bible tells us that sanctification is God’s will for our lives and soul (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ, by purifying our hearts and minds, through repentance, prayer, and spiritual practices. Throughout the Bible, sanctification is mentioned frequently as a calling to align yourself with God’s will and cleanse yourself from sin.’
And what are some scriptures on the subject? Listen up. This first one is what we just referenced, 1 Thess. 4:3: ‘For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication (sexual immorality).’ Then there’s this part of Bruh Paul’s explanation of his conversion on the road to Damascus to King Agrippa. Jesus is telling why He has conscripted him as an apostle. ‘Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified (set apart) by faith that is in me.’ (Acts 26:17-18)
The next scripture comes from 1 Corinthians where Bruh Paul is berating them about being wrong doers. ‘Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that (to) your brethren. Know ye knot that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived…(and he lists some of their iniquitous doings) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous (yesss!!!) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Cor. 6: 8-9a, 11)
And we’ll end with this last scripture from Hebrews that talks about blood sacrifices in the Old Testament in contrast to the New Covenant. ‘For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without (outside) the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify (set apart, make holy) the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate.’ (Heb. 13:11-12) Yes friends, it’s all about the cleansing of our sins, which the blood of Jesus did once and for all time. No more animal sacrifices.
And when you receive Him as Lord and Saviour, then you are, forgiven, redeemed, reconciled , justified, set apart, sanctified, made holy, being slowly remade in His image from glory to glory! Now who wouldn’t want such a glorious transformation eh? We all do, without having to pay the price though. (smile) Now it’s time to go to the throne of God, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine assistance with our earthly problems.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need 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.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to 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. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, 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 truly want to see positive answers to our prayer, then we need to make positive changes to our lifestyles. It as simple as that my brethren. Much LOVE!
…we’ve already experienced Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection….all that’s left is…His second coming…this time in glory…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the riches of his grace, But God commendeth his love toward us, celebrate the triumphant resurrection of Christ, Christ died for us, clear direction for my life, crapaud smoke we pipe, curse, Easter, forgiveness, forgiveness of sins, God's supernatural wisdom, got the wheels rolling, his nail-pierced hands, Jesus' sacrificial work, justification, LOVE, negative word, not redeemed with corruptible things, prosper, received the atonement, recociliation, redemption, redemption though his blood, S.O.L, sanctification, self-control, separating the sinner from his sin, spring has sprung, succeed, the birds are singing their songs of joy and praise, the keys of hades, the lamb that was slain for us, the precious blood of Christ, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday Blessings, we will rejoice and be glad in it, while we were yet sinners, while we were yet sinners christ died for us
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Here’s looking at you with LOVE and great expectations, the first Thursday after Easter! You’ve opened so bright and sunny, and so warm too, about 19 degrees Celsius, that for the first time in many a month I can open my windows and allow the cool fresh air to flow through the house! Wow! What a pleasure! Only those who have ever experienced it, know the wonderful feeling of being able to open windows instead of keeping them tightly shut. But it’s all a part of living in the northern climes, and it does provide for some variable and interesting though not always pleasant times. (smile)
And in my neck of the woods this is definitely a day to say, with grateful truth: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Oh friends, it seems like spring is truly and finally here…Praise the Lord! The birds are singing their songs of joy and praise, while flitting about their own lives, and the flora is beginning to turn green again, awaking from its long winter snooze, and let’s hope that that new life is also blossoming in us believers, especially since spring has sprung right at Easter time, when we celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who, having defeated hell, death and the grave, now has the keys to hades in His nail-pierced hands!
And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of: ‘Hallelujah to the Lamb that was slain for us, whose blood was shed to pay for our iniquity! Sing Hallelujah to His precious and glorious name!’ Yes, my fellow believers, we ought to be so grateful to Jesus for the selfless, sacrificial work He did on our behalf at Easter. No one else could have done it…even if they felt so inclined, for He was the only sinless soul, who could pay for our abominable sins. And yuh know what? We haven’t even spoken of the Father’s great LOVE for us as yet, which caused that marvellous debt repayment.
Oh my, my! It was indeed the Father’s unconditional LOVE for His sinful creation that got the wheels rolling, and then Jesus’ obedience to, and LOVE for the Father, that eventually made it happen. And oh how great was that rolling of wheels that rolled on to our redemption, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and sanctification! Ah my fellow saints, that certainly deserves another Wow! Just imagine nuh, that the death and resurrection of one individual could cause all those marvellous things to happen in our lives nuh. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s look at some scriptures that prove it.
As per redemption, listen to Peter pontificate on the subject. (smile) ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet. 1:18-21)
And all of God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Hallelujah! Glory to God in the Highest! Amen!’ And as per forgiveness, Bruh Paul says it loud and clear in Ephesians, speaking of the Father through Jesus. ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (bestowed grace or favour) upon us. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence (understanding).’ (Eph. 1:5-8)
Yes friends, Almighty God with wisdom and understanding, through His awesome grace, forgave our sins because the shed blood of Jesus paid the requisite up-scale price for them. No one, or nothing else could have paid the horrendous high price involved. So please let’s show our eternal gratitude by living sincerely and enthusiastically for Jesus nuh. He’s sacrificed so much for us. And the scholars offer this interesting note on forgiveness. They say, ‘The word forgiveness literally means “to send off or away.” In Scripture this means separating the sinner from his sin. God accomplishes forgiveness by transferring our sin to Christ on the cross and judging it there. When an individual receives Christ as Saviour, he is forgiven by means of this transfer.’
And, as per justification, listen to these marvellous and oh so encouraging words from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified (made right) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, (having) being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom. 5:6-11)
Ah mih people, what a wonderful God we serve! Now which other supposed god would ever make their only Son die for his followers’ wrongdoing eh? NONE whatsoever! Only the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has the ability and the LOVE for His people to perform such a miraculous, amazing and LOVING feat! And we should be everlastingly grateful for it, not the offhanded, unconcerned manner so many of us supposed believers exhibit. Anyway, we still have two things to go, reconciliation and sanctification, and since time and space are in short supply, we’ll tackle them tomorrow, God willing, of course.
And no, the mention of reconciliation above, was not the scripture I want to share. Meanwhile, for those of us who truly are trying to live for Jesus, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us to do God’s earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And now, having activated those blessings, we’re duty bound to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…if it wasn’t for God’s great LOVE for us…we’d certainly be S.O.L… crapaud would certainly be smoking we pipe… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a betrayal of trust, an infantile mistake, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive others, be willing to put in the effort, been harshly bullied, emotinally and conatively hobbled, extending mercy, for our benefit, forgiveness, forgiveness doesn't come easy, forgiveness is a cardinal rule of Christianity, God commendeth his own love toward us, gone off my rocker, hold on to hurt, humble apologies, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, let go of anger and resentment, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mortal and thus fallible, one of the most important aspects of Christianity, relationships suffer, share His love with my neighbours, strong medicine for healing deep wounds, the beloved of God, the devil does as the devil does, the right tools, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, victims of crime, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, worry, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And then it was a sunshiny spring Tuesday morning. Yes friends, today is indeed sunshiny. Yesterday wasn’t, although that’s what I wrote. Ah Lord eh! The devil does as the devil does yes! Yesterday was a rainy day, but somehow or the other I wrote that it was sunshiny. And it wasn’t that I didn’t see and experience the rain first hand and didn’t read the Bit after I had written it. The problem was that I had begun writing the Bit before the rain started, so since it was nice and dry then, and the day before had ended up sunny, I assumed that yesterday was also going to be sunny, thinking that I’d rewrite the opening if it turned out differently.
And it did turn out differently. But I didn’t rewrite the opening. Steups! And was I ever flabbergasted when I discovered the error after sending out the Bit. That’s why I don’t like prewriting anything. I’m sure my Scrip-Bit family living in my area must have wondered if I’d gone off my rocker, because the sun was nowhere to be seen. (smile) Now, I might be headed in that direction, but I promise you, I’ve not reached that far as yet. So, my most humble apologies for such an infantile mistake. And thank you ever so much for forgiving me. It only means that the ole fella is mortal and thus fallible. (smile)
And I guess that since we’re on the topic of forgiveness, we might as well stay there, because forgiveness is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. And what is forgiveness? It can mean different things to different people, but it’s basically to let go of anger and resentment on being hurt or offended. But here is a good explanation from an article on the topic by Robert Enright, from the Greater Good Magazine website.
He writes: ‘Forgiveness can be incredibly difficult. When another person hurts us, it can upend our lives. Sometimes the hurt is very deep, such as when a spouse or a parent betrays our trust, or when we are victims of crime, or when we’ve been harshly bullied. Anyone who has suffered a grievous hurt knows that when our inner world is badly disrupted, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything other than our turmoil or pain. When we hold on to hurt, we are emotionally and cognitively hobbled, and our relationships suffer.
Forgiveness is strong medicine for this. When life hits us hard, there is nothing as effective as forgiveness for healing deep wounds. I would not have spent the last 30 years of my life studying forgiveness if I were not convinced of this. Many people have misconceptions about what forgiveness really means—and they may eschew it. Others may want to forgive, but wonder whether or not they truly can. Forgiveness does not necessarily come easily; but it is possible for many of us to achieve, if we have the right tools and are willing to put in the effort.’
And right there is the crux of the problem: having the tools and being willing to put in the effort. And if we call ourselves Christian, believers in Christ, then we have the tools and we better had have the effort, or else our witness will be immaterial and be burned up in the time of judgement like it was based on straw, hay or stubble. And why is that you ask? Because forgiveness is one of the very tenets on which our Christian faith is based. Christ came to earth specifically to die to pay for our sins, so that we could be forgiven by our heavenly Father, and thus be reconciled to Him, once again become sheep in His fold.
And Jesus said quite clearly in His teaching on prayer, when He gave the disciples and us a sample of what our prayer ought to be like, what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ In the midst of it He stated: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) Now why would Jesus put something like that in there eh? Because as we just said, it’s of the utmost importance in our faith. And after the prayer, He showed us why. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6: 14-15)
Yes, my fellow believers, it‘s as simple as that. If we don’t forgive those who hurt us, our heavenly Father won’t forgive us. He’s made it a cardinal rule of His kingdom. In other words, He’s saying, if I can LOVE you so much, want to forgive your abominable sins so much, that I can break my heart to send my only Son to die in your place, then the least you can do is to also forgive those who hurt you. And yes, it’s all based on the mighty, unconditional LOVE of the Father, for us, His sinful children. Bruh Paul puts it best when he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes, He didn’t wait for us to come to him, He came to us. That demonstrates great LOVE! And LOVE is the main tool we have to use in forgiveness. That’s LOVING God, ourselves and our neighbours enough to forgive. And these two paragraphs from that article by Robert Enright quoted above, show us how important the act of forgiveness is, especially to us.
He says: ‘Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who’ve harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a non-linear fashion. But it’s well worth the effort. Working on forgiveness can help us increase our self-esteem and give us a sense of inner strength and safety. It can reverse the lies that we often tell ourselves when someone has hurt us deeply—lies like, I am defeated or I’m not worthy. Forgiveness can heal us and allow us to move on in life with meaning and purpose. Forgiveness matters, and we will be its primary beneficiary.’
Yes friends, when we forgive, we are the main beneficiary; our souls start to heal, we become more mature, and the Lord forgives us. We can’t ask for a better result than that. So please, let’s get on with the forgiving of others and ourselves nuh, cause it’s all for our benefit, and it pleases our heavenly Father! And for those of us who are sincerely working on it, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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 do just that nuh: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…as always…whatever God tells us to do…it’s for our benefit…He’s said to forgive…so let’s forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
01 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not dismayed, be strong and of a good courage, but are not able to kill the soul, endure to the end, eternal life, faith versus fear, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not, fear not them which kill the body, fear thou not, forgiveness, God is for me, halfway home, hands on the plough, I am thy God I will strenthen thee, I am with thee, I called upon the Lord in distress, I will not fear, I will trust in God, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, it is better to trust in the Lord, Jesus wants us in heaven with Him, langniappe, LOVE, middle of the week Wednesday, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, o ye of little fiath, Satan wants us to end up in Hades with him, send faith to answer when fear comes knocking, set me in a large place, spreading Christ's marvellous gospel, than to put confidence in man, the annals of history, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the first day of March 2023, the good news of salvation, the gospel truth, the Lord answered me, the Lord is on my side, they that strive with thee shall perish, to a glorious future with Jesus, to put confidence in princes, Wednesday Wail, what can man do to me, What time I am afraid, wisdom to the nth degree
Psalm 118:6. The Lord is on my side: I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
And then it was a damp, cloudy, middle of the week Wednesday, the first day of March 2023. Can you believe it, February’s already over and done with, assigned to the annals of history! The days are certainly not waiting on anyone, they’re just ploughing ahead unceasingly in their God-given duties. And so should it be with us Christian believers; we ought to be relentlessly moving forward with the spreading of Christ’s marvellous gospel, the good news of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life!
Nothing ought to stop us, least of all the devil and his evil doing cronies. And why do we allow those evil doers to prevent us from doing Christ’s work eh? A lot of it is based on fear. But one of the biggest repeated commands in the Bible is ‘Fear not!’ And Jesus also asked several times, ‘Where is your faith?’ Then He also admonished ‘O ye of little faith!’ So, I guess a lot of our hesitation in doing Christ’s work is based on fear and lack of sufficient faith to overcome our fear. But we have to realize that FAITH is the ONLY thing that overcomes FEAR.
And today, it seems like a faith versus fear day, with scriptures that will enable us to build our faith and thus lessen our fear. And I guess the most alluring and confidence building scripture to start our journey is that marvellous one from the prophet Isaiah, where he instructs the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people thus: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded (disgraced): they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.’ (Is. 41:10-11)
Wow! What awesome words of encouragement my people! That’s the Creator and Controller of the universe, the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob telling us not to fear, that He will look after us with His mighty right hand! What more do we want eh? And please don’t tell me that that’s from the Old Testament and that the Lord was speaking to His chosen people of Israel, for who are you?
You are also His chosen. He sent His sinless Son Jesus Christ to sacrifice himself on the rugged cross of Calvary so that all of His creation, both Jews and Gentiles could be forgiven, reconciled to Him, and receive salvation and eternal life. That means, in no uncertain terms, that those scriptures on fear in both the Old and New Testament apply to all supposed believers in Christ Jesus!
And having cleared that up, (smile) let’s move on to this interesting scripture from Psalm 118, which says: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place. The Lord is on my side: I will not fear: what can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:5-9)
Yes friends, when you trust in the Lord, put your faith in Him, He works out everything for your good. The only problem is that you first have to put your faith and trust in Him, before you can see Him working in your life. And the more you trust Him, the more you will see His good works, and the more your faith will grow. Remember, Christianity is not for cowards.
Please note the strong tone the Lord used with Joshua when he made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. Having already told Joshua to be strong and courageous several times, (Josh. 1:2-8) He admonished him one last time for good measure. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) Now, I can’t say exactly why, but those scriptures from Joshua 1:7-9 are some of my favourite scriptures. They just light a fire in my bones. (smile)
And Bruh David adds his two cents worth to the situation, when he writes in Psalm 56, after the Philistines took him in Gath. ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God have I put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me…When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4, 9)
Oh my fellow believers can we sincerely utter those words? Do we know without a doubt that our great and wonderful God is for us? I certainly hope so. For until we do, we will not enjoy all of the many blessings available under His most generous umbrella of care and compassion.
And what does Jesus say about fear, you ask? Listen up as He warns. ‘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 the soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28) And that person my friends is none other than the Lord God Jehovah; the ONLY ONE who can destroy both body and soul. So that’s where our first fear should lie, not in Satan and his evil doers. But even then, it’s not so much fear of God, but more a reverential awe of Him, because we know His awesome power.
By the way, here’s an interesting point from the scholars. They say: ‘Notice that God is the One who has authority to cast men into hell, and not Satan, who will himself be ultimately cast into everlasting fire.’ Now that’s something we should also consider, Satan can’t cast us into hell, but he can certainly help us get there, which is his raison d’etre, his reason for being, to inveigle us to go against God and eventually end up with him in hades. Conversely, Jesus wants us to end up with Him in heaven, so whom will you choose eh? Let’s hope Jesus.
And it seems like there’s so much to say on the subject of faith versus fear that we’ve run out of time and space today. That means, the Lord willing, we’ll continue this most important topic tomorrow. In the meanwhile, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends that’s the gospel truth! And when you add this langniappe, this li’l extra to it, that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine, it encourages us even more to stick with Jesus to the very end. Now, that’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…when fear comes a knocking…the best response…send faith to answer it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, anointed me to preach the gospel, beautiful believers in Christ, brotherly fellowship, call upon him while he is near, can't find your direction, courage fails, dreams are broken in the dust, face the overwhelming world, forgiveness, God's way or the Highway, grace, Grace and Gratitude, he will have mercy upon him, heal the brokenhearted, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, Let Go-and Let God, let the signs remind you to surrender, let the wicked forsake his way, lost the will to trust, LOVE, mercy, Olivia Newton John, praise, preach deliverance to the captives, preach the acceptable year of the Lord, recovery of sight to the blind, repentance, return unto the Lord, sacrifical praise, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, thanksgiving, the day of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, the unrighteous man his thoughts, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, with vim and vigour, your heart won't guide you home
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
Well hello there you beautiful believers in Christ Jesus! As you’ve probably guessed, (smile) it’s that blessed day again, Sunday, the day of our Lord God Jehovah! That means it’s time once more to gather in brotherly fellowship and celebrate with worship, praise and thanksgiving, Jehovah’s amazing, unconditional LOVE and mighty deeds to His children!
And there’s no better time in the lives of believers than when they gather to honour and acclaim our wonderful Creator, for then our faith, hope and dreams are revitalized and our confidence in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is renewed, and we can go out and face the evil world with overwhelming vim and vigour, letting the unbelieving world know that Christ is the answer: the answer to all of life’s questions!
And today’s song is a gentle reminder to all of us, of where to turn when the problems of life get us down, and our faith is somewhat on the low side. It’s a song by the late Olivia Newton-John titled ‘Let Go – And Let God,’ from her album ‘Grace and Gratitude,’ something we ought to have a lot of because of the awesome grace we receive from God. So, let’s offer up our sacrificial praise this morning in an easy, soulful, heartfelt version of the song.
Singing: ‘When you can’t find your direction, and your heart won’t guide you home – Let go – and let God. When your dreams are broken in the dust, and you’ve lost the will to trust – Let go – and let God. (Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – When you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in.) When your faith is a dying fire, and there’s no spark to feed the flame – Let go – and let God. When your courage fails you, and the well of hope runs dry – Let go – and let God.
(Chorus: Let the signs remind you, we are passengers. Let the signs remind you to surrender, to surrender – Let go- and let God. (Background vocals – When you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in, when you’re holding in.) Let the signs remind you -to surrender, to surrender, to Let go – and let God, let go- and let God’
Oh my fellow saints, those five words – ‘Let go – and let God,’ are ever so important in lives. In fact, they are very crucial and critical, because we cannot access God’s goodness and mercy unless we let go, unless we surrender our will to His! That’s the only way He can help us. The problem though is that too many of us want to hold on to our will and also have God’s grace and mercy. But unfortunately my brethren, it doesn’t work that way. God has specified many times in the scriptures that it’s either His way or the highway!
Remember how the prophet Isaiah stated it, when reminding his people, Israel, that God abundantly pardons. He said: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:6-9)
That puts the whole thing in its proper perspective my people. God calls the shots, not us! He is the Creator, and we are simply the created. And if we know our place, then He will overwhelm us with His goodness and grace, as He said through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)
That’s the second aspect of the situation; God has wonderful plans in store for us, if we will only listen and follow His will. But the truly marvellous and awesome thing about our God is that He forgives, and doesn’t ever turn anyone away. So even if we are bent on doing it our way and encounter problems, if we turn to Him, surrender our will to His, He will enable us to keep on keeping on.
As the song says, let the signs remind us that we are only passengers, and instead of holding in our doubts, fears, anxieties and whatever negative stuff that’s baffling us, to surrender, to let go and let God handle it, for He is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present, which means He can handle any and everything! And it’s sad, because God gave us free will, hoping that we would be wise enough to walk this life with Him. However, we’ve taken that free will and abused it, foolishly thinking we could do it all on our own.
But that’s impossible, because God made us so that we can only live this life successfully with Him as our guide and enabler. And it’s because we don’t walk in His light that we get lost, lose our direction and our courage, while our faith withers, as our dreams lie broken in the dust, our well of hope runs dry and we can’t find a spark to feed the flames of our passion.
And Jesus said it all, when He read from the Book of Isaiah on the Sabbath Day in His hometown of Nazareth. ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised (oppressed), To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’ (Luke 4:18-19)
Now that’s what our wonderful God is all about through His Son Jesus! That’s why He allowed Him to be crucified on the cross of Calvary; so that the lost could be found, the blind given sight, those living in darkness, light, those without hope, strong faith, those bound in the captivity of sin, freedom and eternal life. But we must surrender to God’s will, let Him fill that empty space in our souls that He’s reserved especially for Himself, that ONLY He can fill.
Please realize friends, that God didn’t create us on a whim and a fancy, but on a well thought out plan, that took everything that could possibly happen into account. So He’s not surprised when we get lost and go astray, because He’s already planned for that eventuality; for all eventualities. But the ball is still in our court, we must play our part before He can play His. Much LOVE!
… surrender and repentance must be made…before forgiveness and grace are offered…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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