28 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guideline for our daily lives, a means of restoring faith in you, abstain from all appearance of evil, an attitude of prayer, anything praiseworthy, be not overcome of evil, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, by the example, despise not prophesying, embrace your love and compassion, faithful is He that calls you, Friday chant, hold fast that which is good, in every thing give thanks, in the face of adversity, Jesus abounding in our souls, living for Christ, LOVE, maintain gratitude, of good report, omnipotent help, our sinful world, overcome evil with good, positive changes, pray without ceasing, provide things honest to all men, quench not the Spirit, recompense to no man evil for evil, rejoice evermore, sanctify you wholly, show them the error of their ways, takes your breath away, the anxietym confusion, the God of peace, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, think on these things, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, we will rejoice and be glad in it, whatsoever things are true, winter wonderland, your faithful believers set
1 Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice evermore.
Ah my Scrip-Bit friends and family, this Friday morning has opened beautifully, like a true winter wonderland, with the sun shining so brightly that its reflection off the snow tends to blind you, if you look at it too closely! (smile) And the temperature is just right for such a day too, around minus 16 Celsius. No, I’m not crazy, a certain kind of day deserves a certain temperature. And then we have Jesus abounding in our souls, spirits and bodies, so what more can we ask eh? Nothing!
So let’s say it like we mean it nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Oh yes my people, every day is made for rejoicing, but some like this one, just takes your breath away, and you can’t do anything else but rejoice; rejoice and give thanks! And that just recalls these marvellous passages of scripture, featuring Bruh Paul’s immortal words to the Thessalonians, where he encourages them to:
‘ Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance (every form) of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-24)
Wow friends! That’s one of those bits of scripture, that sort of includes everything a believer needs to live a good Christian life! And the nice thing about it is that it’s simple and straightforward, as well as practical. So, I would suggest we use it as a guideline for our daily lives, where we rejoice that we are alive and have Jesus who reconciles us to God and offers us the most wonderful gift of salvation for simply believing in Him.
And to help us with all our daily problems we just keep talking to God about everything, not necessarily continuously or audibly, but having an attitude of prayer throughout our day. And for all of that my fellow saints, giving thanks to our wonderful God in any and everything is paramount, because that’s what He expects of us. As the scholars explain: ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
Ah friends, that’s like how we say one hand washes the other; prayer helps us to stay thankful regardless of our circumstances! Then we come to a big one: ‘Quench not the Spirit.’ Now that is possibly the most important aspect of Christian living, for the Holy Spirit of God has been placed within us to lead and guide us in a godly life on this ungodly earth. And when you ‘Quench it,’ that means, ‘stifle’ or ‘suppress it’ then it cannot do the job it was sent to do. As the scholars tell us, we are hindered in rejoicing, in prayer, in giving thanks during adversity, and despising prophetic utterances inspired by the Spirit.
It’s basically what Bruh Paul said to Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) And yuh know what friends, the more we suppress, stifle or repress the Holy Spirit of God in our lives, the less it is able to act on our behalf. It doesn’t sound as loud and clear as it once did, and we are basically left to paddle our own canoe, which certainly is not a wise action.
Then we come to the next practical aspect of Christian living as prescribed by Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ (vs. 21) That means be careful of what you believe, try and prove them before you believe them, and hang on to the good ones. It’s similar to what he said more explicitly to the Philippians. ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil. 4:8)
Yes, believers need to think or meditate on the right things, if we want to do the right things, which is ‘Abstain from all appearance of evil.’ (vs.22) And what does that mean? It’s like Bruh Paul explained in his message to the church at Rome. ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17, 21).
It couldn’t be any clearer than that my faithful brethren. And when we follow those basic rules, then our spirits, bodies and souls will be sanctified, set apart for our faithful God, and the surpassing peace He promised, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. And the peace of God is the supreme blessing on this riotous, ungodly, deceitful, evil and unfaithful world. When you have that nothing bothers you, and you can go about Christ’s will with diligence and excellence.
But where I believe we’ve been most sadly lacking in our Christian journey is in the department of prayer. We haven’t been doing that prayer without ceasing thing. But it’s not too late to begin. So let’s do that right now nuh, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please let’s remember all the stuff we’ve talked about today, and do what it takes to be a true and faithful believer, if we want to see positive changes in our lives and in our world. Much LOVE!
…successfully living for Christ is not easy…but following the guidance of His Holy Spirit…enables us to live right…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, and none shall make them afraid, blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, bring backsliders back to your fold, Christ comes back, Christ is working all things out for good, come let us go up to the mountain of God, common pandemic, down by the riverside, Friday chant, God shall wipe away all tears, hast spoken it, in the last days, introduce a new flock, is as a thousand years, it shall be exalted above the hills, keep our promises, lay down my burden, learn to rely on Christ and His word, mankind is capable of much evil, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war no more, neither sorrow, no more death, no regard for human life, nor crying, omnipotent help, one day with the Lord, our sinful world can wake up, peace and love instead of violence, right motives, smell the coffee, soon come, study war no more, take heart, the days of the Millennium, the example your faithful believers set, the former things are passed away, the mouth of the Lord of hosts, the unrest in our streets, to set up His earthly kingdom, tongue in cheek, unexpected storm, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
Micah 4:4b. and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
Oh blessed be the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for filling us with life, LOVE and sunshine on this real cold winter’s Friday! According to my computer, the temperature out there is somewhere around minus 15 degrees Celsius. And that’s plenty minus! (smile) But with the strength and perseverance that Jesus brings to our lives, we will handle it superbly! And I can say that tongue in cheek because I don’t have to go out there today…at least not yet.
So what’s happening today eh friends? Friday is here, meaning the end of the workweek and not a whole lot of frivolity, for Covid is still here too, as well as political, racial, religious and economic strife. All over our world, despite the common pandemic, which ought to bring us together, we’re still finding time to physically fight each other, senselessly kill each other with no regard for human life, purposely impoverishing some, while holding back much needed and affordable relief from others.
I don’t know if all the evil and ungodliness in mankind has ever shown up all at once, like it has now. And believe me, mankind is indeed capable of much evil. He can be truly the devil’s son when he chooses to be! But then again, he can be sweet, LOVING and caring like Jesus! The problem though is we don’t know which aspect of his nature will show up on any given day. And I don’t know if anything will change much until Christ comes back to set up His earthly kingdom, as this passage from Micah foresees.
He confidently declares: ‘But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in (on) the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people (peoples) shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth (out) of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among (between) many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.’ (Mic. 4:1-5)
Oh my people, how our world longs for that blessed day when war and strife will be no more! When our weapons of war will be turned into productive instruments ensuring peace and LOVE instead of violence! And it will come, but we just don’t know when, for these last days are kind of lasting rather long. (smile) But that’s to be expected when time, in the Lord’s sight is totally different to time in ours.
As Peter so sensibly reminds us: ‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) So if we figure that the last days began around the time of that momentous Pentecost Day, when the Holy Spirit fell on the early church, that’s two thousand years ago, then it’s only about two days in the Lord’s sight. (smile) So it’s early days yet.
But getting back to Micah’s prophecy, the scholars tell us this: ‘4:1-3. The phrase in the last days, as well as a comparison with other prophecies (e.g. Is. 2:2-4), indicates that the prophet is looking beyond the restoration from Babylonian captivity to the days of the Millennium when every promise given to Abraham and to Israel will ultimately be fulfilled.’
Yes friends, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the same thing (Is. 2:2-4) and we know that all of God’s promises will eventually come true, but it’s taking so long to come, like the Jamaicans ‘soon come,’ and in the meanwhile our world is such a mess with the enemy in the ascendance right now. But as followers of Jesus, we must take heart and learn to rely on Him and His word. Remember, He’s working all things out for the good of those who LOVE Him, and that takes time.
But until Christ comes again, we can hold on to this great promise from the Book of Revelation, where John says: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:3-4)
It’s coming my fellow saints, it’s only a matter of time. Till then though we have to make the best of what we have by staying close and faithful to our great God. And there’s no better way to do that than through prayer. So let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help in our earthly matters. As one confident but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now please remember that the Lord not only listens to our voices in prayer, but more importantly, checks out the motives of our hearts, and if He finds them wanting, will not grant our desires. So it’s always to our benefit to have right motives and to keep our promises. Much LOVE!
…I’m gonna lay down my burden…down by the riverside…and study war no more…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hint of sunshine, a means of restoring faith in you, all things are become new, as God for Christ's sake, backsliders, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, be ye kind to one another, change in our mindset, Covid-19 virus, created in righteousness and true holiness, embrace your love and compassion, except a man be born again, forgiving one another, Friday chant, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, hath forgiven you, he cannot see the kingdom of God, he is a new creation, I am the vine ye are the branches, if any man be in Christ, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, neither consider ye the things of old, new vistas open, old things are passed away, our sinful world, put on the new man, remember ye not the former things, solar power, spiritual power, the example your faithful believers set, wake up and smell the coffee, without me ye can do nothing
Ephesians 4:23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Now that’s more like it! There’s a hint of sunshine in the air, not the total murkiness we’ve suffered for the past couple of days. Sunshine has been so lacking that lights which are recharged by sunlight have not been coming on because there hasn’t been sufficient sunlight to recharge them. I wonder what’s happening to those who use solar powered equipment in their homes, like on their rooves to provide heat, if they don’t have a large storage of that solar power.
It’s a good thing that we don’t have to worry about our spiritual power, because we have Jesus, the ‘awesomest’ power person there is, rooting for us in everything we do! But first we need to put our trust and faith in Him, believe in what He says, and live the way he directs, otherwise His power won’t work in us. It’s all conditioned upon our sincerely accepting Him as Lord and Saviour and doing His will.
And when we do that…Brother! Such new vistas will open before us, exciting things will begin happening, good changes will be made in our lives, in fact a complete turnaround will take place, and we’ll wonder why we hadn’t accepted Him into our hearts and lives before. As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)
Yes friends, when you’ve found Christ, you become a brand new being. As the scholars put it: ‘When a man comes into vital union with the risen and glorified Lord, he is a “new creation,” and perceives Christ in a new way.’ And that’s borne out by the words of Jesus, first to Nicodemus, who came by night seeking information from Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)
It’s a spiritual rebirth my brethren! And unless it happens to us, we won’t see the kingdom of God. It’s as simple as that. And Jesus drives home that point later on when He tells the disciples: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that’s laying it all on the line. And it is the indisputable fact; without Jesus, we are very limited in what we can do.
And when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, we make a break with the old things of our lives. We have to, because all the old carnal, sinful, fleshly stuff doesn’t work in Christ’s domain. That means a lot of new things, interesting changes must happen in our new life with Jesus, if we are to abide in Him, and He in us. As Isaiah writes: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider ye the things of old.’ (Is. 43:18) And the wonderful thing about it all my people, is that once we come to Christ, our union with Him abides forever!
But here are some interesting words from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, on some of the practical changes that we make when we come to Christ. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct of) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Yes my fellow saints, just a few practical changes to make when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour! (smile) But seriously though, we desperately need to consider how all of the above resonates in our personal lives, because it’s all a big part of our current angry, strife -filled world. And it’s not always easy to differ from the world, but we must, if we are to fulfill Christ’s mandate.
The major aspect though is a change in our mindset, because it’s in our mind that all the battles between the old and new take place. That’s why Bruh Paul wrote: ‘And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.’ (Eph. 4:23) Now, the only way we can do that is through purposeful meditation on God’s word, sincere prayer and the genuine encouragement of other believers. And, since we’ve already pondered the Lord’s word, and encouraged each other, let’s go to Him in prayer now, through our Friday Chant, asking for His divine help and guidance.
As one strong, confident, but humble voice. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please remember that we just portrayed ourselves as faithful believers, and unless we live up to that promise, the Lord won’t answer our prayers. Much LOVE!
…being a new creation in Christ is wonderful…but it’s not always easy…we have to keep at it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a customary practice, a habit, a part of the body of Christ -the church, adopted, avoid any more serious setbacks, born again, carnally minded, choose to resist sin, chosen, cling to christ tenaciously, conformed to His image, confusion, dead in trespasses and sins, defeat the virus and the unrest, discover the answers, fellowships with God, filled with joy and peace, free from condemnation, Friday chant, havoc, I am come that they might have life, I can do all things, In Christ we are victorious, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, justified, knowing who we are in Christ, live for Christ victoriously, live the abundant life, LOVE, more than conquerors, no longer slaves to sin, obeys God's will, omnipotent help, our sinful world, reconciled, regenerated, renewed, spiritually minded, stand strong and steadfast, the beauty of living for Jesus, the mysteries of life, the true meaning of life, they might have it more abundantly, through Christ who strengthens me, wake up and smell the coffee, walking according to the Spirit not the flesh, wise guidance
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Boy oh boy! Two days of decent sunshine in a row! That must be a record! But I think it’s going to be a tad on the cold side. That’s okay though, I can handle the cold when the sun’s shining. It’s just the dark, damp, dreary weather that gets to me. But all thanks to Jesus, I can handle both types of weather, if I just put my mind to it.
And that’s the beauty of living for Jesus: He enables you to do anything that coincides with His will or plan for your life. That’s why we say, with full confidence: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ Phil. 4:13) Now just saying it doesn’t make it true. You have to sincerely believe it, and make it a customary practice, a habit in your life, so that after a while, it just blends in automatically. (smile)
Ah friends, knowing who we are in Christ, and knowing the benefits that spring forth from such a privileged position, is extremely important if we want to live the abundant life that Jesus promised, and died for us to have. And you ask, what does it mean to be in Christ?
Well, the simple answer is that when we are born again, when we receive Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He comes to dwell in us through His Holy Spirit, and we become a part of Him. We are made clean, renewed and acceptable to the Holy Father. But I found this article on the subject on the gotquestions.org website which I believe explains it better than I can. (smile)
So let’s see what it says. ‘In Christ, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded. The new nature fellowships with God, obeys His will, and is devoted to His service. These are actions the old nature is incapable of doing or even desiring to do. The old nature is dead to the things of the Spirit and cannot revive itself. It is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) and can only be made alive by a supernatural awakening, which happens when we come to Christ and are indwelt by Him.
Christ gives us a completely new and holy nature and an incorruptible life. Our old life, previously dead to God because of sin, is buried, and we are raised “to walk in newness of life” with Him (Rom. 6:4). If we belong to Christ, we are united to Him and no longer slaves to sin (Rom. 6:5-6); we are made alive with Him (Eph. 2:5); we are conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29); we are free from condemnation and walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:1); and we are part of the body of Christ with other believers (Rom. 12:5).
The believer now possesses a new heart (Ezek. 11:19) and has been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:3). We might wonder why we so often do not live in the manner described, even though we have given our lives to Christ and are sure of our salvation. This is because our new natures are residing in our old fleshly bodies, and these two are at war with one another. The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him as they once did.
In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice to either feed the new nature through the Word, prayer, and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things. When we are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37) and can rejoice in our Savior, who makes all things possible (Phil. 4:13). In Christ we are LOVED, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ!’
And isn’t all that the gospel truth my fellow saints! In Christ Jesus we have EVERYTHING we can ever need! In other words, the abundant life. Like he said. ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for 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)
Yes friends, that was Christ’s stated purpose; to save us from eternal death and damnation, to give us a better quality of life both here and in the hereafter. So please, let’s not make His sacrifice a waste of time by not enjoying the life He died for us to have. Therefore, let’s turn sincerely to Him, cling tenaciously to him, and live victoriously for Him, for that is the wisdom of the ages!
And one of the things that come with such absolute devotion is prayer, both in good and bad times. So, in these rough times we are currently experiencing, let’s turn to our Saviour, our Creator for badly needed divine help, through our Friday Chant. As one strong, confident, but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s remember though, that we don’t just pray for help, but we also keep the promises we made in our prayer. Much LOVE!
…only in Christ…can one discover many of the answers…to the mysteries of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
24 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a calamitous state, a divine manifestation, a jealous fit of rage, all we have achieved comes from God, back to your fold, born king of the Jews, bring a lot of backsliders, by the example, celebrate Christ's birth, christmas eve, Covid-19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, expensive gifts fit for a king, frankincense, Friday chant, God can pull victory from seeming defeat, God moving in mysterious ways, God's divine handiwork, gold, have come to worship him, Herod on the warpath, His wonders to perform, introduce a whole new flock, LOVE, Merry Christmas, myrrh, omnipotent help, Satan blinded our eyes, see the writing on the wall, shack up in the fires of hell, show them the error of their ways, the Birth of Christ, the foolish archangel, the graceful and merciful auspices of Jehovah God, the greatest gift ever given to man, the miraculous moment in time, the ultimate reason for the season, truly living for Him, trying to kick God out, wander the earth in shame and disgrace, warned of God in a dream, we have seen his star in the east, your faithful believers set
Matthew 2:2. Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
So it’s Christmas Eve mih people! Just one more day to the Big One. Imagine nuh, tomorrow this time the celebrations, the Christmas festivities will be in full swing. But please, please, let’s remember the ultimate reason for the season, in fact the one and only reason for the season; that’s the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And don’t only concentrate on the food and gifts, but spend a few moments considering and contemplating the wonderful present that our heavenly Father gifted us with some two thousand years ago, and how things would have been in an even more disastrous mess, if He hadn’t given us the greatest gift ever, His One Son, Christ Jesus to save us from the bondage of sin!
But it’s sad that the greatest gift ever given to man has been turned into one of the greatest economic and money-making events in today’s world, with the real reason for Christmas totally forgotten, with people even refusing to say Merry Christmas, but talking nonsense about ‘Happy Holidays!’ Where did the blooming happy holidays come from eh? From the birth of Christ! That’s where! So please let’s give Him the accolades He deserves nuh, and stop trying to remove Him from our society. And then we wonder why our world is in such a calamitous state!
The answer begins right there; trying to kick God out, being disobedient and ungodly! Remember what He did to Satan when the foolish archangel, a mere creation, tried to overthrow Him in heaven? He kicked him out of the plush job and comfortable surroundings he had, to wander the earth in shame and disgrace and shack up in the fires of hell! Now we, another creation, are listening to that fool and his evil minions and are trying to rid our society of its Maker and Controller. Why do you think we will suffer a fate any different to Satan’s eh?
And that’s exactly why He sent Jesus to earth, to give us another option beside that offered by his evil highness. But we’re so full of ourselves, figure we’re such hot shots with our high-class civilization, that we no longer need God. What a joke! Can’t we see my brethren, or has Satan blinded our eyes so much to the fact that all we have, all we are and all we have achieved and accomplished have come through the graceful and merciful auspices of Jehovah God Himself? I guess not, otherwise we would not be in such a hurry to move Him out and forget Him.
Remember the birth of Jesus was so important that three wise men (magi) from far off lands made the long journey to see the li’l baby boy born in the stable, wrapped in swaddling bands, lying in a manger (feed trough). And note what they said: ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.’ (Matt. 2:2)
Yes friends, other people also knew about the coming of the Messiah, possibly descendants of the Jews, from their sojourn in distant lands through captivity and migration, and it was so important to them that they travelled a far distance to behold the miraculous moment in time. And to top it all off, they brought gifts, expensive and most appropriate for a king; gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Now, obviously since they were expecting a king to be born, the magi went to Jerusalem, the royal capital of Israel, to Herod the current king to find out His whereabouts. Herod knew nothing about any king being born, but found out through the Jewish leaders where the Messiah was supposed to be born; Bethlehem of Judea. And I like how the Good Book puts it. ‘And he (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.’ (Matt. 2:8-12).
Yuh see mih bredrin, that was our God moving in those mysterious ways of His, His wonders to perform. First having a star guide them to the birth place of Jesus, then a divine revelation not to go back to Herod. And as the scholars explain ‘His star’ (vs 2) could not have been merely a natural phenomenon, since it led the wise men to Jerusalem and later to Bethlehem. It almost certainly was a divine manifestation used by God to indicate the fact and place of the Messiah’s birth.’
That’s the gospel truth my people, it was nothing less than our omnipotent God’s divine handiwork! The same way it was shortly after when Joseph, Jesus’ father had a vision to take his family to Egypt because Herod would soon be on the warpath, killing Jewish children under two years of age, in a jealous fit of rage that some uppity Jewish child would want to take his throne away from him and his family. Just like us, Herod didn’t realize that he was just a man, created by a higher being than himself, who could pull victory from seeming defeat.
Oh my fellow saints, this Christmas Eve day, let’s wake up and see the writing on the wall nuh. The Lord is on His throne in the high heavens, controlling things, and unless we come to our senses and refute Satan and all that he stands for, we will end up just like him; in the fires of Hades, with no chance whatsoever of making it to heaven. So, in wisdom and understanding, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Friday Chant, pleading for His divine help.
As one strong, confident, sincere but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, it’s the same as it has always been; if we keep our promises and be obedient to God’s will, then He will answer our prayers in a positive manner. Much LOVE!
…to truly celebrate Christ’s birth…means we must be truly living for Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all else is sinking sand, anxiety and confusion, avoid any more serious setbacks., dancing in the darkness, embrace your love and compassion, eternal damnation, foment rebellion in heaven, Friday chant, God is the immovable object, God's promises are conditional, hellfire, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the Lord that is my name, I will liken him unto a wise man, In God is my salvation and my glory, Jesus - the solid rock on which I stand, Jesus is sufficient, LOVE, my glory will I not give to another, my refuge is in God, my soul waiteth for the Lord, neither my praise to graven images, omnipotent help, our sinful world, pour out your heart before God, stand strong and steadfast, steady as a rock, strife-filled world, the light of Jesus, the people is grass, the rock of my salvation, the rock of my strength, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, which built his house upon a rock, wise guidance
Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Now, the sun looks like it’s going to come out today, but it’s not expected to be as warm as the 15 degrees Celsius we experienced yesterday, and hopefully the wind won’t be a major problem today either. The strong winds just made mas with everything yesterday, blowing people and stuff all over the place. You had to hold on to yourself and anything you carried. But you know what? That situation is preferable to trudging through the sludgy white stuff called snow, slipping and sliding, not knowing what’s going to happen with your next footstep, and with nothing to hold on to but Jesus! (smile)
But the good news is that Jesus is sufficient in every situation, for He’s the strongest, the most stable, solid and unmovable being in the universe. Yes friends, our God is the immovable object that we can build our lives on, because He does not change; as they say, He’s steady as a rock. And there are several scriptures that attest to that strength and immovability of our great God. So let’s check out a few nuh.
Isaiah said it thus. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is. 40:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! Like the grass and the flower, we human beings will wither away eventually, but the word of God stands forever like the rock of Gibraltar! Meanwhile the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, said it this way. ‘He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ (Ps. 89:26)
Oh my people, God is indeed our Father, our Creator and the strong tower on which we can always rely! And we need to get that fact buried deep in our hearts, so that we can automatically turn to Him, without any hesitation whatsoever, fully knowing that He cares for us and will take care of all our needs and troubles. That’s why Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
But we can’t do that unless we truly believe that the Lord is the rock of our salvation. And nobody said it as often or as powerfully as Bruh David in Psalm 62. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) And if you didn’t believe him in the second verse, he reiterates it later on in verse 6, then adding: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:7-8)
And that’s more indisputable truth my brethren! But unfortunately, many of us don’t seem to believe it because we don’t go to Him in times of trouble. Some even dismiss His very existence, and others want to rid our society of His presence. But that’s never going to happen! For Almighty God is the Creator and Controller of this universe and He’s not going to let any created being take it over. And He said it in so many words through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)
Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer is a good example of that. He tried to foment rebellion in heaven and become the head honcho, but instead got kicked out on his tush, him and the other fools that tried to rebel against the Father. What will it take for the created to understand that they cannot get rid of their Creator, and whatever power they might have is derived from the one and true source of all power, Almighty God Himself? And He can shut them down, do whatever He pleases with them, and it’s only His great LOVE for us, His most wonderful creation, that stops Him from destroying us completely in His wrath over our stubborn disobedience, sinful and ungodly ways.
He even broke His own heart by sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be saved from hellfire and eternal damnation. But too many of us are not paying attention, and are thus experiencing the consequences of sin; an angry, sick, disaster ridden, strife-filled world. Oh friends, too many of us are still dancing in the darkness of this ungodly world when the light of Jesus is shining so brightly all around us. Please, let’s come out of that darkness and look to Him for help nuh, because He is the ONLY ONE, who can provide any real help to us, both individually and corporately.
Our world’s not getting any better through our own actions, thus Satan is having a field day. And the only other option available to us is Jesus. Remember what He said about building our lives on solid foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (the rock – that’s Him) (Matt. 7:24) And there’s no disputing that truth! So please, let’s go to Him for help nuh mih bredrin. It’s the wisest decision we can ever make.
As one sincerely repentant voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that God’s promises there are conditional on us keeping ours. Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the solid rock…on which I stand…all else is sinking sand…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and in-house guide, be responsible, both riches and honour come from God, bought with the blood of Jesus, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God works all things out for our good, he that hath clean hands, in thine hand is power and might, introduce a new flock, keep on keeping on, keep our promises, LOVE, not lifted up his soul unto vanity, not reading your name in the obits, practice makes perfect, pure in heart, righteousness from the God of his salvation, stewards of God's possessions, the breath of life, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the example your faithful believers set, the heaven of the heavens is the Lord thy God's, the Holy Spirit, the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, the world and they that dwell therein, them that seek thy face, trusting faith, unexpected storm, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, with your omnipotent help
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
Another snowy morning, but it’s Friday, the last day of the work week. So that takes away some of the anxiety and fear we have about venturing out into the snow covered highways and byways. And when we add the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, then we’re filled with courage, remembering that we can accomplish any and everything when He is walking with us. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling my fellow believers? It surely is! For no other Deity offers such strong and truthful reassurance to their followers…. Only Jesus!
Yes friends…Only Jesus gives us the wherewithal, the grace, mercy and LOVE, to keep on keeping on no matter comes against us in this evil dominated world! With His Holy Spirit living within us, we have an in-house guide and director of personal affairs that no other faith has. That means we can get answers and guidance much quicker than others; almost immediate direction to our tentative and ofttimes anxious and fearful requests.
But we need not be fearful or anxious because Jesus has promised to be always with us, even to the end of the world, and He keeps all of His promises. For like in everything else we do, as the old saying goes; practice makes perfect. And it’s not until you go to Him several times and see good results that you will feel comfortable. But we first need to step out into unknown territory to experience the grace that comes from knowing and trusting Christ. And every time we need to step out, we must remember what He’s already done, so it becomes easier and raises the level of our trust.
And if, like the world does, you want to ask Jesus what He’s done for you lately…then just think who allowed you to open your eyes this morning, and who’s breath of life is flowing through you right now? In other words, it’s because of His LOVE and purpose for your life that you are not reading your name in the obits today. And furthermore, whom do you think enabled you to get a job, and a good paying one too, plus the new car that you drive to that good paying job, from that nice house in which you and your family live?
It’s Jesus my brethren, because everything in this world belongs to Him, and we are only stewards, aka managers of His possessions. And the Good Book tells and reminds us of that most important fact, which many of us might find trivial and nonsensical. Very early in their journey out of bondage in Egypt, Moses let it be known to the people of Israel, when he declared: ‘Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) There is no hesitation or doubt whatsoever in Moses’ declaration.
And Bruh David, in offering thanksgiving and prayer, before he anointed Cousin Sol king of Israel in his place, said the same thing in Chronicles. ‘Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.’ (1 Chr.29:11-12)
Now if that doesn’t convince us of our God’s omnipotence and awesome power, I don’t know what will! For, remember Bruh David rose from a humble shepherd boy to a mighty warrior and king, the greatest of Israel’s many kings, not through his power, but through the grace and anointing of God! And he never forgot that despite all the human mistakes he made. Neither should we forget it, despite the mistakes we make, because the Lord is able to change and work out all things for our good, if we stand strong and faithful in His fold.
And I believe that Bruh David, in his role as a wordsmith, the magnificent wordsmith that he was, says it best in Psalm 24, where he expounds on The king of glory. Listen and take heart. ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and is pure in heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (to an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.’ (Ps. 24:1-7)
Now that all sounds wonderful, but unfortunately this is not the generation that’s seeking the Lord’s face! Rather we are trying to hide from Him, and or remove Him from our society, two notions which are both foolish and impossible. But thankfully, it’s never too late to seek the Lord’s face, and do we ever desperately need to seek it in these disastrous times, because He is the ONLY One who can do anything positive for us. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, seeking His awesome help through our Friday Chant.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please remember all that we asked for, and what we promised to do, because it’s only if we keep our promises, that the Lord will answer our prayers. Much LOVE!
..the created owns nothing…the world is the Lord’s, He created it…and we’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, back to your fold, belong mercies and forgivenesses, bring a lot of backsliders, castigates you for your sloppiness, defeat both the virus and the unrest, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, frustrating strums of life, how wonderful to have Jesus, if thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord, LOVE, Moses warned the people of Israel, Nehemiah's prayer, omnipotent help, one more day of life being life, rebelling against God is utter foolishness, righteousness belongeth unto thee, show them the error of their ways, there is no god, these curses shall come upon thee, though we have rebelled against him, to calm and protect us, to the Lord our God, trying to turf God out, unto us confusion of face, wake up and smell the coffee, we have dealt very corruptly against thee, wise guidance
Daniel 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.
Just one more day…one more day of life being life! Steups! Yuh know, those days when everything just seems to go wrong right from the start. You wake up feeling lousy, with a headache, and then as you try to get out of bed, a cramp suddenly hits you in your right thigh. But thank the Lord it is not one of the terrible ones, so you only moan and groan and try to calm it for about five or six minutes.
Then a li’l later, you are coming down the basement steps to write the Bit with a cup of sweet java in your hand, next thing you stumble and spill some of it on the steps. So, you must clean that up before the duchess sees it and castigates you for your sloppiness. And then outside it seems to be another grey looking day.
Brother! I’ve never seen so much cloud cover in my life! There’s no day where the sun just seems to shine with no surrounding dark clouds. How wonderful it is to have Jesus and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and walking beside us to calm and protect us from all those irritating and frustrating storms of life! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord!’
Yes friends, we need to be ever so thankful for Jesus because even with His divine help, life still gets difficult. So, can you imagine if we didn’t have Him, or how those who don’t have Him manage? And yuh know what, the Good Book opened at an interesting passage of scripture this morning which I believe is oh so appropriate for our times. It comes from Nehemiah’s prayer for his people Israel when told of Jerusalem’s sorry state. He admitted to God: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedest thy servant Moses.’ (Neh. 1:7)
Ah mih people, there’s no disputing that we have done the exact same thing; turned away from the God of our forefathers! No wonder our world is in such a terrible state. Way back when, Moses had warned the children of Israel: ‘But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto (listen to) the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do (obey) all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. (Deut. 28:15)
And just for our information, the blessings in that chapter run from verse 3-14, but the curses from verse 16-68. I don’t need to tell us that the curses were more numerous and disastrous. It’s sad, but all down through the ages, the supposed people of God have at one time or another turned away from Him and paid a terrible price for their disobedience. The psalmist said it when he wrote in Psalm 106, titled, Israel sins against God’s LOVE. ‘We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.’ (Ps. 106:6)
And Daniel said it thus in his prayer for Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. ‘We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements.’ (Dan. 9:5) Oh, for certain sure my brethren, we have sinned and done dastardly deeds against our wonderful God! We have rebelled against Him, especially by trying to turf Him in no uncertain terms from our society, from the world and all therein that He so thoughtfully created.
The awful cry these days is ‘There is no God!’ But most of us know better than that; that there is a God, a true and living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! A God who will not let us get away with our infantile behaviour forever. And I think Daniel hit the nail on the head when he said in a couple verses later: ‘O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces (shame), as at this day…’ (Dan. 9:7a)
Oh my fellow saints, confusion certainly reigns in our world today, but obviously not enough shame for our sins and wickedness committed against out heavenly Father. Otherwise, we would have already turned back to Him with a great revival, when we saw that we can’t fix our problems in our own strength. But no, we persist in trying to fix it ourselves, and the situation is just getting worse every day.
However, as Daniel also said: ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:9) That means our Lord and God is a forgiving and merciful God, and if we swallow our foolish pride and return to His fold, we will be forgiven. So please, let’s wake up nuh, and see the utter folly of trying to fix what’s wrong by ourselves, for only with God’s divine help is it possible. Let’s therefore go to Him in humble repentance and ask for His forgiveness and guidance through our Friday Chant.
Altogether now. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, if we want God to help us, we must fulfill those promises we’ve just made. It’s as simple as that. Much LOVE
!…rebelling against God…the Creator and Controller of everything…is utter foolishness…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adoration, assurance in the purpose of God, be not therefore like unto them, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God's method of communication, heartfelt thanks and gratitude, our sinful world, petition, pray to thy Father in secret, prayer is not man's attempt to change the will of God, prayer warriors, that they may be seen of men, the Lord's prayer, the unrest in our streets, they love to pray standing in the sysnagogues, they shall be heard for their much speaking, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, thy Father shall reward thee openly, wake up and smell the coffee, when thou prayest, when ye pray use not vain repetitions, wise guidance and direction, your Father knoweth what things ye have need of
Matthew 6:8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before you ask him.
What shall we say to opening our bleary eyes to a bright new shiny day eh? A simple answer like ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day. I praise You and bless your holy name,’ will do. Our wonderful God doesn’t need a whole lot of verbiage to satisfy His soul, just our heartfelt thanks and gratitude.
That’s why Jesus uttered this warning to His listeners, a warning which I believe is also very timely for us in these trying and turbulent times. He said: ‘And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites (pretenders) are: for they LOVE to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (inner room), and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.’ (Matt. 6:5-6)
Now friends, that doesn’t mean that praying publicly is wrong, because it’s decreed in many parts of the Bible, the problem is the misuse of prayer, praying so that men can see us and believe we are so righteous and holy, when we are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites using it for our personal glory.
And as the scholars explain: ‘The principle here is that the believer should not make a show of his prayer, nor of the answers he receives of prayer in such a way as to call unnecessary attention to himself.’ Unfortunately, many of us today, do just that; make showy attempts of prayer, so that others can see us and think we are such prayer warriors, when we are nothing of the kind.
Jesus knew the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, so He continues on the subject of prayer. ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ (Matt. 6:7) Yes my brethren, we don’t need to babble on in our prayers, saying the same things over and over, or speaking without thinking, like some of the heathen and false prophets found in the Old Testament.
Thus, this last word from Jesus. ‘Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before you ask him.’ (Matt. 6:8). For sure! He is God, the Creator and controller of the world, who’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, so He must know what we need, although He likes us to come to Him in prayer and ask, to acknowledge our submission to His will and not ours.
And the scholars offer a wonderful explanation on prayer through that verse. ‘6:8. Prayer is not man’s attempt to change the will of God. Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance to answer, but laying hold of His willingness to help. Prayer in the life of the believer is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purpose of God.
The following sample prayer is given to the disciples as an example of a suitable prayer. This prayer, often called the “Lord’s Prayer,” is in reality a disciple’s prayer. In no way does the prayer itself embody all of Christ’s teaching about prayer; and having just warned against vain repetition, he did not intend for this particular prayer to be merely recited with empty meaninglessness.’
Oh friends, we all know the prayer, and ofttimes we just mouth it without really thinking about what we’re saying. And yes, it’s good to have God in our mouths, but He should also be in our hearts and minds. And we won’t go into a line by line break down of the prayer, but be it sufficient here to know that it contains two major parts; the first is adoration, and the second is petition.
Now that’s the way most prayers, especially in the Psalms are devised. They open with thanks and praise, then they ask for their needs, and I believe that’s a healthy way for us to design our individual prayers. Don’t just jump right into what we need, unless it’s a dire emergency, but first offer up thanks, and remember what the Lord has done in the past for us, and His overall goodness in our lives, show that we appreciate His grace and mercy, before we begin asking for things.
And by the way, please make sure the things we ask for are things that are in His will for our lives, not merely our selfish wants. Now, what we’ve said above, is not the end all and be all on prayer, but hopefully, it will upgrade out thoughts on prayer and help us to pray in a more meaningful manner.
So, with that in mind (smile) let’s go to God in prayer, right now, through our Friday Chant. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Please remember, that if we want positive answers to our prayers, we need to keep the promises we’ve just made. Much LOVE!
…Prayer…God’s method of communication with His children…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
19 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to faith, a means of restoring faith in you, and again I say rejoice, avoid anymore serious setbacks, be careful for nothing, be of the same mind, belittle the work we do, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, given their eye-teeth, harmony among church members, in everything by prayer and supplication, keep and guard your hearts and minds, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let your moderation beknown unto all mne, LOVE, never to leave nor forsake us, no summons to iresponsibility, our sinful world, prayer in everything, Rejoice in the Lord always, serious and unexpected storm, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the level of our faith, the level of our joy, the Lord is at hand, The Lord is my helper, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the solution to anxiety, the unrest in our streets, wake up and smell the coffee, with thanksgiving, work everything out for our good
Philippians 4:4. Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice.
I hear you friends! I hear you calling out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and this miserable workweek soon done!’ And yes, the workweek might have been difficult and/or frustrating, but please look on the bright side nuh, you were one of the blessed ones, you at least had a job to go to. However, in these pandemic, riotous, disastrous and dangerous times, thousands of your brethren had none to go to, and would have grabbed yours without a backward glance. Many would have given their ‘eye-teeth,’ as the old people would say to have any li’l job at all, so they could make a few dollars to feed themselves and their families
. So please, let’s not belittle the work we do, even though it may not be as soul-satisfying as we desire. Times are exceedingly hard, and instead of complaining we ought to be thankful for what little we might have, because there are so many others around the world with so much less than us, who would be exceedingly glad and thankful to have the little we claim to have.
That’s why this scripture writing of Bruh Paul to the Philippians is ever so important today. He writes: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.’ (Phil. 4:4) Yes friends, that’s the number one characteristic and attitude of believers in Christ Jesus; we are joyful in whatever situation we find ourselves. Remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) That’s why the enemy tries his best to steal our joy, because he knows that without that joy, which brings strength, we are totally at his evil mercy.
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. ‘4:4. The mention of believers’ names being recorded in heaven (vs.3) causes the author to write rejoice in the Lord always. Harmony among church members, as Paul assumes will be the result of his pleas in verses 2 and 3, (to be of the same mind), is another reason to “rejoice.”
In adding and again I say, Rejoice, it is as though the apostle looks into the future, considers all possibilities of sorrow, and in spite of them all repeats “the command.” This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed “rejoice always.”
And yuh better believe my brethren that in these perilous times the command to rejoice is indeed a call to faith, since we do have a wise, sovereign and LOVING God who has promised never to leave nor forsake us and to work out everything for our good eventually. Thus, the level of our joy rests on the level of our faith, on how much we believe what our Creator says. If our faith is strong, then our joy will be forthcoming, but if our faith is weak, then we will be filled with all kinds of doubts, fears and anxieties.
That’s why Bruh Paul continues: ‘Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.’ (Phil.4:6) And the scholars tell us that ‘Moderation means “graciousness” or “sweet reasonableness.” The believer who is at peace with his fellow Christian (vs.2) and who rejoices always (vs.4) is indeed a gracious, reasonable person.
The Lord is hand means two things. First, His return to earth is near. His imminent coming as judge encourages the Christian to be “gracious” unto all men, for He will judge the believer for all of his actions toward all people, and will avenge any wrongs committed by others against him. Second, the “Lord is at hand” spiritually. The Lord’s being presently near should free the Christian from fear and anxiety. Hence the command of verse 6.’
And we all know the command of verse 6. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6) What a majestic and encouraging verse of scripture my people! We don’t need to be anxious for anything because we can take it all to God in sincere prayer and supplication, but with thanksgiving, letting Him know that we desperately need His help. That means thankfully laying our anxieties at His feet, assured that He can and will deal with them on our behalf. Thus, we are freed of the anxieties and worries, the doubts and frustrations of this evil and ungodly world.
Wow! No wonder we are to rejoice and be thankful! And I would be amiss if I didn’t add some of the scholars’ explanation of that verse. They say, ‘Be careful for nothing means “don’t worry about anything.” The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’
So what’s the end result of all that eh? Bruh Paul states it thus: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Oh my people! ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problems, and His ability to cope with and solve it.’
And that peace shall guard our hearts through our trust and belief in Christ Jesus! Glory be my fellow saints! What more can we ask eh? Nothing really, but we do need to take our current fears and anxieties to the Lord in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. So, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please remember that we need to keep our promises, if we expect the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my helper…I will not fear…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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