18 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comapssionate heart, a positive outlook on life, abundance, acquiring money, avoids evil influences deeds and attitudes, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, blessings bestowed on the righteous, bringeth forth fruit in his season, Christians, climate change, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, do according to all that's written therein, doth he meditate day and night, faith, followers of Christ, god, God causes him to prosper, God's supernatural wisdom, godly behaviour, got a zeppo, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf also shall not wither, holy spirit, in his law doth he meditate, in league with the wicked, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, like chaff, like night follows day, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, live in a godly and righteous manner, live righteously and be blessed, live unrighteously and persih, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, material possessions, mercy, negative word, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, nor stands in the seat of sinners, only a matter of time, our guidebook for godly living, personal power, promotion, put the Lord's word into action, receive clear direction for my life, salvation, share our blessings, sit in hallowed halls, social status, spiritual growth, supernatural strength, talent, the Bible is our guidebook for living, the blessed man is the righteous man, the cold weather is inevitable, the righteous, the ungodly, the ungodly are not so, their destiny is judgement, truth, whatsoever he does shall prosper, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, wisdom
Psalm 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the seat of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Oh friends, one more beautiful summer day! In all my years in Canada, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful, summery month of September! But we’re definitely not complaining, just saying thank the Lord and climate change for making it possible, because the real summer months were too hot and filled with the smoke from the many wildfires that were then happening. Now, it’s temps in the low to mid-twenties, with a cool breeze ruffling through the trees to keep things at a modest heat. So let’s pray that it will last a while longer, as the cold weather is inevitable, like night follows day, it’s only a matter of when it will show up. (smile)
So what’s on the agenda for today? Well, I was just searching through the scriptures for something to talk on, but nothing caught my interest, then I got this sudden zeppo to go to Psalm 1. So here we are. And according to the scholars, ‘It’s an appropriate introduction to the Psalter (Book of Psalms) since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’ And so it does, but also more importantly, it begins by telling us about the blessings which are bestowed on the godly.
So please read with me. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the seat of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ (Ps. 1:1) Right away friends we are told what a blessed or righteous man ought not do. That’s basically not get in league with the wicked, the scornful, the blasphemer etc. etc. And how should that man who desires to be blessed behave? ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night.” (Ps. 1:2)
That means we now have the basic idea of how the righteous man ought to behave. And what happens when he behaves in that prescribed manner? Then he’s blessed! ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1.3) Wow mih bredrin! What wonderful news! Prosperity will be ours if we read,, understand and put the Lord’s Word into action!
And that’s something the Lord also drilled into Joshua’s head when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He told him in no uncertain terms. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Now what’s so difficult to understand in all of that eh? Nothing whatsoever! So why aren’t many more of us doing that eh? Don’t we like prosperity? Of course we do, but the problem is that we consider propserity to be simply acquiring money, the material possessions of the world, social status and personal power within the society, with no regard to the acquiring of godly behaviour and spiritual growth.
But let’s remember what Psalm 1 says on that matter. ‘The ungodly are not so (shall not prosper); but are the like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement; nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.’ (Ps. 1:4-5) Yuh see that friends; the ungodly are not worth anything; they are like the useless chaff that the wind blows away. And they certainly won’t be allowed to sit in the hallowed halls with the righteous, but their destiny is judgement.
Ah my people, it’s time we wake up and learn that propserity does not only relate to things like money and material possessions, but also to our quality of godly life. As the scholars tell us: ‘The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (vs. 1); he delights in God’s Word (vs. 2); therefore God causes him to prosper.’
And who’s going to decide and evaluate the righteous and the ungodly? God Himself. As the psalm concludes: ‘For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:6) In other words, God knows the ways of the both righteous and the ungodly, and the former will be blessed, but the latter will perish.
Now, let’s remember that God does not make idle promises. So whatever He promises in His Word, the Bible, our Guidebook for Godly Living, He will fulfill in His own time. In the meantime though, if we want to call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, then we are required to live the way He desires us to live, and that’s in a godly and righteous manner. That’s all there is to it.
But our God, being a righteous, just and generous Deity, has also chosen to bestow on us undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. 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 having made that declaration, (awright!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord did with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…life is simple…with only two options…live righteously and be blessed…or live unrighteously and perish…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, another scorcher, as a father the son in whom he delighteth, be as a tree planted by the waters, be not weary of his correction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., called according to His purpose, casting all your care upon him, cease from anger, christianity, come to know and love him like we do, commit thy way unto the Lord, delight thyself also in the Lord, depart from evil, despise not the chastening of the Lord, direct thy paths, faith, fear the Lord, feed on God's faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, give thee the desires of thine heart, god, God will cause us to succeed even in tough times, he cares for you, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, he that comes to God, health to thy body, heat warnings, her leaf shall be green, holy spirit, honour the Lord with thy substance, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, in all thy ways acknowledge him, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, in god's eyes, in the year of drought, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lean not unto thine own understanding, let not your heart be troubled, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, marrow to thy bones, mercy, mut believe that He is, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him, run from your kin to your enemies, s promised never to leave nor forsake us, salvation, shall not be anxious, shall not see when heat comes, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, so shalt thou dwell in the land, spreads out her roots by the river, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the fear of man bringeth a snare, the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy judgement as the noonday, thy vats burst out with new wine, to them that love God, trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord and do good, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesús, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what time I am afraid I will trust in thee, whom the Lord loves he chastens, whoso puts their trust in the Lord shall be safe God, wisdom, with the firstfruits of all thine increase, without faith it is impossible to please God, worry, you believe in God believe also in me
Proverbs 29:25. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).
It’s Tuesday friends, and another scorcher, with heat warnings. But we’ve gotten through the last two fiery days with God’s help, so why won’t we get through this one too? No reason whatsoever! For He’s promised numerous times in His word to never leave nor forsake us, if we put our total and sincere trust in Him. And I guess today is a day for reminding ourselves of scriptures that advise us to trust in the Lord God of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But there are so many that I don’t know which ones to choose, so for ease of understanding, we’ll choose some of them with which we’re already acquainted. (smile)
And we’ll begin with this one that shows Bruh David’s awesome trust in God, when he ran from King Saul to his deadly enemies, the Philistines in Gath, and they took him in. He writes in Psalm 56 – Times of Distress: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God will I praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can to me.’ (Ps. 56:3-4) Now, if you can run to your enemies from your own kin, then that’s showing amazing trust in the God you worship.
And that’s what’s expected of us, when Isaiah awesomely declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah (Yahweh) is everlasting strength (the rock of ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) And if you don’t believe that, then read the rest of that passage, where Isaiah details God’s amazing strength. (Is. 26:5-11)
Now here is another dandy scripture, this time from the pen of the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow mih bredrin! That’s a scripture that’s just right for today, with all the heat and drought that’s currently assaulting us. Yes, with total trust in our great God, we have no reason to fear, because He will cause us to succeed even in tough times!
Meanwhile, Peter puts it this way: ‘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) And remember, you can only truly trust when you are submissive to whomever, or whatever you claim to trust in. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6)
Ah mih people, faith is born of trust, you cannot have faith in someone or something unless you have invested trust in the situation or the person. Then there are these verses from Psalm 37, aptly titled, Trust in the Lord, verses we continually quote but never quite live up to them. See if you remember them. (smile)
‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on God’s faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm).’ (Ps. 37:3-8)
So what else can we say about having trust in the Lord eh? Plenty! Just listen to these marvellous verses from the pen of the wisest one, Cousin Sol, also ones we know, but don’t put into full use. In Proverbs, he exhorts and admonishes us thus! ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine. My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:5-12)
And that’s wisdom to the nth degree! So why don’t we put those verses to better use eh? Who knows? But because we don’t, we cannot utilize the fullness of God’s promises and provisions. There’s also this one from Cousin Sol that might not be so familiar. ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe (secure, lit. set on high).’ (Prov. 29:25) Another bit of wise advice.
Then there’s this famous verse from Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now that calls for great trust to believe that in spite of all our problems, everything will eventually work out for the best. But that’s what our faith is about; trust in Almighty God. It’s like Jesus said: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1) And that’s exactly what we need to do.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, we are required 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!
…sincere trust can only come from…strong hope, belief and faith…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
14 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful saying, a free gift, a man is not justified by the works of the law, a positive outlook on life, all gone out of the way, all have sinned, an unclean thing, and then the judgement, appears for a little time, ascendeth up for ever and ever, be born of water and the spirit, Bible, bring us to God, by the faith of Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, Christ suffered once for sins, christianity, church membership, come short of the glory of God, courage, cowardly, crapaud smoke we pipe, creativity, curse, day or night, divine protection, eternal life, except a man be born again, fade as a leaf, faith, fearful, fervent heat, filthy rags, god, God's supernatural wisdom, he cannot see the kingdom of God, he who has ears to hear let him hear, holy spirit, iniquities, it is appointed unto men once to die, Jesus Christ, like the wind, LOVE, mercy, murderers, negative word, no not one, none that doeth good, none that seek after God, our iniquities have take us away, righteousnesses, salvation, sinful ways, talent, the just for the unjust, the lake of fire, the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, The Leviticus Church, the second death, the smoke of their torment, then vanishes away, there is none righteous, they have no rest, truth, what is born of flesh is flesh, what is born of Spirit is spirit, what is your life, who worship the beast and his image, whoremonges, whosoever receives the mark of his name, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, wisdom, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, you cannot gamble with salvation, your life is even a vapour
Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.
Then it was Thursday, and the world is going along in it’s usual sinful ways, with many of us supposed believers in Jesus Christ helping them on. But as we saw yesterday, this world, both the solid part of it and the wicked within it will not last forever, it will go up in flames one day, or as Peter puts it, ‘in fervent heat,’ when the Lord decides it’s time. And what’s going to happen to us then eh? We’ll either end up in the New Jerusalem or in the lake of fire, to experience the Second Death.
And if you remember, twice in the last couple of weeks we checked out a Bible tract from the Leviticus Church in Jamaica, New York, which had to do with Salvation. The first time we explored what it said about Eternal Life being a Free Gift, and the second time, we talked about how you can be saved. Well, today we’re going to explore the last aspects of the things it talks about, beginning with this one: that Church Membership CANNOT Save You.
In support of their claim, they open with a quote from Romans 3:10, but I’ll add a couple of verses to it ‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.’ (Rom. 3:10-12) Now that’s also a fairly accurate description of today’s world.
Then the tract continues with this quote from Romans 3:23: ‘For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ Then they declare: ‘Sin is the problem, and belonging to a church will NOT take it away. Jesus Christ Himself said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
And for greater clarification, we’ll add these verses where Jesus further enlightens Nicodemus the Jewish ruler who had come to Him by night to question His purpose. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And that tells us very plainly that we personally have to do something about our style of living if we want to see the pearly gates of heaven, and simple church membership will not cut it.
Then the pamphlet exhorts us: ‘You Cannot Take Your Chances.’ In other words, you cannot gamble on your being saved. Then they let us know: ‘The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” (Heb. 9:27) Thus they reason, you really don’t know for sure how much time is left of your life. And they support that with this scripture from James. ‘Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ (James 4:14) That in essence tells us that we could be here today, but gone tomorrow, therefore we must take the opportunity to be saved RIGHT NOW!
Then, the tract reminds us of this indisputable truth: ‘You Cannot Save Yourself.’ And they use these Bible quotes to justify their contention. ‘Knowing that a man is not justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ… (Gal. 2:16a). It also says: ‘But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (a filthy garment); and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.’ (Is. 64:6) I added the last half of the quote.
Then we learn that ‘Salvation is “FREE” to ALL.’ The Bible says, ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (Rom. 10:13) And furthermore, the Bible says, ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Tim. 1:15) There again, I used the whole verse. ‘For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God…’ (1 Pet. 3:18a)
Now, we come to the most important aspect of the entire situation: ‘IF YOU DO NOT GET SAVED…’ And the tract expounds: The Bible says, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.’ (Rev. 14:11) The tract only gives the first half of that verse, but I thought the whole thing would be more beneficial. (smile)
Then, it continues: ‘For the wages of sin is death;’ (Rom. 6:23a) But this death is more than just physical death. It is an “ETERNAL BURNING!” The Bible says, ‘But the fearful (cowardly), and unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and whoremongers (sexually immoral), and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the SECOND DEATH.’ (Rev. 21:8)
And that says it all my people! If we do not get saved before we die the physical death, then we will surely end up in that lake of fire for the second death, and then crapaud smoke we pipe for all eternity! Now, is that what we desire? I don’t think so. But the reality is that if you not get saved as soon as possible, there’s a great likelihood that you can end up with Beelzebub and all the other iniquity workers. So, a word to the wise; please look after your salvation, RIGHT NOW!
Now, let’s declare and thus activate our Thursday Blessings, which 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 having made that declaration, it now behooves us to go out and use those blessings just as generously on behalf of others. Much LOVE!
… he who has ears to hear…let him hear…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new earth, a new heaven, as a bride adorned for her husband, be diligent, be their God, be ye glad, Bible, blameless, Christ's thousand year earthly rule, christianity, cold and heat, come as a thief in the night, day and night shall not cease, endure to the end, eyes straight ahead, faith, god, God shall wipe away all tears, God's great mercy, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that sat upon the throne, holy spirit, I make all things new, Jesus Christ, judgement day, LOVE, may be found of him in peace, new Jerusalme, no more crying, no more death, no more infant of days, no more pain, no more sorrow, not turning back, rejoice for ever, seedtime and harvest, sinful humanity, spiritual maturity, spiritual wisdom, summer and winter, thank God, the breath of God, the day of the Lord, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the eternal habitation of the saved, the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, the former things are passed away, the heavens shall be dissolved, the heavens will pass away, the holy city, the Millenium, the new Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God, there was no more sea, these words are faithful and true, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, while the earth remains, wisdom, with a great noise, without spot
Revelation 21:1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And the days move along swiftly without waiting on anyone or anything! Why? Because that’s the way God planned it. It’s His solemn promise as stated in His Word. After destroying the earth and it’s habitants, except Noah and His family by a flood, the Lord promised Noah that He would never destroy every living thing again. (Gen. 8:21) Then He concluded: ‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.’ (Gen. 8:22).
And this portion of an article on the subject from the bibleref.com website explains it thus. ‘From this point, throughout the planet’s history, the patterns of nature will remain as God has created them. The cycles will continue. Day will follow night. One season will follow another. The world will continue to function predictably according to God’s design. This is the grace of God upon all His creation.
It is important to notice that this promise begins with “while the earth remains.” God doesn’t guarantee that the planet in its current form will exist eternally. In fact, at some point in the future, God will re-make the heavens and the earth (Revelation 21:1). But while it does, those who live on earth will enjoy the goodness of the repetition of the days and seasons by God’s great mercy on sinful humanity.’
And for our Biblical enlightenment (smile) here’s what Peter says about the destruction of the planet. ‘But the day of the Lord (Judgement day, not the Rapture) will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness.
Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10-14)
Oh my fellow believers, since all that stuff will take place eventually, it’s necessary for us to follow Peter’s warning to look beyond this present world, and live accordingly, or so that we can become a part of the new, righteous and peaceful world. Now, here’s what the first few verses of Revelation tells us about that New World.
It’s John speaking: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. and he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev. 21:1-5)
Yes my brethren, if we remain faithful believers in Christ Jesus, that’s the glorious time we have to look forward to, when the universe will be cleansed of all the effects of sin! Wow! What a time that will be! After the Millenium (Christ’s thousand year reign) upon the earth, which will be a time of righteousness and peace, and the Final Judgement, New Jerusalem will become the eternal habitation of the saved.
The first heaven and earth which was predicted by Isaiah will be destroyed. On God’s behalf, he wrote: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be heard no more in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days (live but a few days), nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.’ (Is. 65:17-20)
Oh friends, yuh see that the Lord promised us a good place from way back when, if we only believe. And why is that so difficult to do eh? Because we don’t have the spiritual wisdom and maturity to look to the future; we’re held captive here by the things of this fallen world, which as we have seen, will all be destroyed. So all the earthly things that we are killing ourselves now to obtain will not serve us one iota of good in the next life.
And nothing’s wrong with things, but they should not be our idols, they should not be placed above the worship and presence of God, as so many of us do. But no one can make you choose Christ and His righteousness over Satan and his evil doings, we each have to make that decision for ourselves. But please, we plead with us to choose Christ, for His is the best choice. Just look to the future and see where you prefer to be, in the New Jerusalem, or the Lake of Fire.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure right to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…just imagine nuh…no more tears, pain or death…in the New Jerusalem…can’t wait to experience it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a, a christlike desire, a dwelling place for good things, are worth nourishing, believers use the word desire, Bible, bitter envying, blessed are they, can't stop thinking of someone you love, christianity, confusion, Consider This, consumed by lust, demonic, demonic schemes, desires can also be good, do not boast, earthly, easy to be intreated, enter into the kingdom of heaven, envy, epeaceable, except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, faith, feel the urge, focus our attention on, full of mercy, gentle, glory not, god, good fruits, greed, holy spirit, in a negative mannerbelievers use the word desire, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, insatiable longings, Jesus Christ, lay up treasures in heaven, lean into that yearning, light a fire under us, long to pursue a God-given dream, longings, LOVE, may abound more and more, meditate, mercy, noble, of virtue, on earth as it is in heaven, only half the picture, persecuted for righteousness sake, priseworthy, pure, Remembrance Day, right activities, right thoughts, salvation, seek first God's kingdom, sensual, sensuality, shall be with you, share His love with my neighbours, sown in peace, stife, that bring heaven to earth, the beloved of God, the fruit of righteousness, the God of peace, the wisdom from above, the work of righteousness shall be peace, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, things that are honest, things that are pure, think about good and heavenly things, think on these things, those things that relfect God's character, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to celebrate a friend's accomplishment, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without hypocrisy, without partiality, worry, ye shall in no case, your love
James 3:18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Then it was Tuesday…and all the hoopla over Remembrance Day is over, and we put the dead and the remaining few veterans back into their box for another year. And as one commentator said, sadly, every year the remembrances get a li’l less significant. He remembers the celebrations being much bigger and better attended in earlier years. But I guess that’s life; as more of us who lived during the wars die out, and our History is not being properly and correctly taught in our schools, fewer people will pay attention to those kinds of celebrations, and thus they will become less important as time goes by.
But be that as it may, this morning I want to share an interesting comment from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s InTouch Devotional. Please read with me: ‘When believers use the word ‘desire,’ it’s often negative. We use it to describe being consumed by lust, envy, greed, or other insatiable longings. But that’s only half the picture. Desires can also be good. When you feel the urge to celebrate a friend’s accomplishment, long to pursue a God-given dream, or can’t stop thinking about a person you LOVE, lean into that yearning.
Those are feelings God wants us to experience. So, the next time you desire something, take the opportunity to pause. Prayerfully ask yourself what about the desire might be Christlike and what isn’t. When the Holy Spirit is living inside you, you become a dwelling place for good things. And those longings – the ones that bring heaven to earth – are worth nourishing.’
Yes friends, anything that brings heaven to earth is worth nourishing and encouraging! For as Jesus said in the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer – ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:10)
Oh my people, we are intended and expected to replicate whatever happens in heaven as much as possible on this earth. That’s why we lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven, and not on earth. (Matt. 6:19-21) Why we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first before anything else on earth. (Matt; 6:33) Why we think about good and heavenly things as much as possible.
That’s why Bruh Paul encourages the Philippians and consequently us: ‘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. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
That’s invaluable information my fellow believers. To keep God’s peace, we need to occupy our minds with the right thoughts, and busy ourselves with the right activities. And I like how this commentary explains those verses. It says: ‘The point of this passage is that we focus our attention on those things that reflect God’s character and on those things that come from Him. God wants us to fill our minds with the truth and to contemplate those things that are right.’ And that’s the only way we can be and remain godly in this evil filled world!
And James, in his epistle, explains it thus: ‘But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts (self-seeking exist), glory not (do not boast), and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish (demonic). For where envying and strife is (self-seeking exist), there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated (willing to yield), full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:14-18)
That obviously tells us that most of the stuff that’s currently going on in our world is certainly not from heaven or God-centered, because it’s overly filled with those things James mentioned as not being good, namely, strife, envying, confusion, earthly sensuality and demonic schemes that lead to evil doings.
That also reminds us of these words form Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil. 1:9-11)
Ah friends our earthly journey is supposed to be all about, LOVE, peace, goodness, and righteousness. As Isaiah writes on the Effects of Righteousness. ‘Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.’ (Is. 32:16-17) So please, let’s get our lives straight and begin seriously seeking those things that be of God, and not those that be of man and this evil, demonic world.
And these words of Jesus ought to light a fire under us. ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case (by no means) enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20) Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now obligated 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!
…blessed are they…which are persecuted for righteousness sake…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… (Matt. 5:10)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 11 a.m on the 11th day of the 11th month, a crying shame, a show of support, a stranger, age shall not weary them, armistice, be yours to hold it high, between the crosses, Bible, bounden duty, christianity, cleansing, defend the poor and fatherless, destroying the works of the devil, died in the line of duty, divine aid, do justice to the afflicted, done it unto the least of these, enjoy a decent life, expended on our behalf, faith, felt dawn, filling the void, financial aid, fly, for the Armed Forces community, from falling hand, god, has mercy on the poor, he that honours him, he that oppresses the poor, healing, hear and answer our prayers, hifalutin speeches, holy spirit, humble servants, I was hungry, I was in prison, I was thirsty, if ye break faith with us who die, In Flanders Fields, in the sky, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, keep himself separated from the world, like sheep before the slaughter, living hand to mouth, LOVE, loved and were loved, make a good living, mark our place, medical aid, mental aid, mercy, naked, nor years condemn them, open thine hand widely, paraded out, platitudes, preaching, proper housing, pure religion, Remembrance Day, reproaches his Maker, row on row, salvation, saving the lost, saw sunset glow, scarce heard amid the guns below, short days ago, still bravely singing, suspension of fighting, take up our quarrel with the foe, the God who heals, the government don't care about the veterans, the larks, the poor shall never cease, the poppies blow, the poppy flower, the sacrifice, they shall not grow old, thirsty and ye gave me drink, though poppies grow in Flanders fields, to you, truth, turn from our evil ways, undefiled before God, veterans, we are the dead, we lived, we shall not sleep, we that are left grow old, we throw the torch, we will remember them, wisdom, ye clothed me, ye have done it unto me, ye took me in, you gave me meat
Proverbs 14:31. He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).
As is expected, after Sunday comes Monday…and this Monday is a big one in the Western Hemisphere; the official celebration of Remembrance Day in honour of all those brave armed forces members who died in the line of duty during the numerous and unnecessary wars of the last century.
‘It all began with the end of the First World War when at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The Germans had called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement and accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender.’
Today the handful of veterans left will be paraded out like sheep before the slaughter and many hifalutin speeches made at all the monuments erected for those who departed this life in service to their country. But the truth of the matter is that we remember those who fell in conflict, but the veterans who are still alive have been mostly forgotten and not shown the appreciation they fully deserve. Too many of them are living hand to mouth, not being able to secure proper housing, financial, medical or mental aid from the governments and the associations responsible for doing so.
It’s a crying shame when you hear the many stories of such irresponsibility and abuse. And we chose the red poppy flower as a symbol for this day, one of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community. And on this day we also glorify the fallen combatants, especially those lying in the graves of Flanders with this popular poem ‘In Flanders Fields,’ written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, (1872-1918) a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during the World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, which served as inspiration for the poem.
So please read it with me: ‘In Flanders fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
Ah friends, it is a sad and touching poem, a true testimonial to the wastefulness of lives lost in wars that don’t really prove anything but the stupidity of mankind. One commentary claims that ‘The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae’s closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross. Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem. It was the second last poem he was to write.’
And it’s certainly good to remember those who fell in service to us, but it’s even more important to remember those who are still alive and through no fault of their own cannot make a good living or enjoy a decent life. We owe them that for the sacrifice they expended on our behalf. It’s our bounden duty to look after them, but it’s one more duty that we’re shirking, while filling the void with mere platitudes on this day.
And there are many scriptures which admonish us to take care of the poor, sick, needy and downtrodden. For example, in Psalm 82 – Unjust Judges – the psalmist Asaph writes: ‘Defend (vindicate) the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.’ (Ps. 82:3-4)
Meanwhile, James says it thus: ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27) True religion is not only doing good, but also staying separate from the world.
And way back when the Lord told the Israelites through Moses: ‘For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore, I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide (freely) unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.’ (Deut. 15:11) And Cousin Sol reminds us of our duty with this gem. ‘He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov. 14:31)
It’s also like Jesus said when speaking of the coming separation of the sheep and the goats. ‘For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36) And when the righteous ask when all of that happened? ‘And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40)
Remember my fellow saints that Jesus came to save and to help, as this Bible summary tells us: ‘His ministry included preaching, teaching, healing, seeking, and saving the lost, and destroying the works of the devil (see Matt. 4:23; 9:35; Luke 19:10; 1 John 3:8).’ Now we have to do likewise. And to help us do so, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and ask for divine aid in these times of dire need.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And it’s ever so necessary to repent and turn from our evil ways if we truly desire to receive divine aid. Much LOVE!
…the Remembrance Day exhortation…They shall grow not old…as we that are left grow old…Age shall not weary them…nor the years condemn…We will remember them…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deserted place, a solitary place, a waste of a good life, believed in the name of, Bible, bubble up from our hearts and souls, christianity, come before his presence with singing, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, despising the shame, die from lack of nourishment, egotistical people, end up like lost sheep, endured the cross, faith, fellowship, for the joy that was set before him, god, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, He taught me how, holy spirit, hostility, hungry, I was glad, in the morning, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let us go into the house of the Lord, like a wellspring of joy, live in peace and harmony, live rejoicing every day, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mercy, Oh Happy Day, physical and spiritual nourishment, remembering those who died, Remembrance Day weekend, rising up a great while before day, sacrifices of praise, salvation, serve the Lord with gladness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the author and finisher of our faith, the most joyful day ever, the only begotten Son of God, the reality of the situation, the world through him might be saved, thirsty, to condemn the world, to fight rejection and abuse, to watch fight and pray, truth, wage a peaceful war, wake up to, wandering aimlessly, when Jesus washed my sins away, when they said unto me, wisdom, without a good shepherd
Psalm 100:2. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Now that’s the opening verse of Psalm 122, and this Remembrance Day weekend in God’s house is where we all ought to be, giving thanks and remembering the many millions who senselessly died in the many wars of the last century. And yes, they died that we could ostensibly live in peace and harmony.
But where is that peace and harmony now eh? It doesn’t exist, for most of our world is now a strife-filled battleground, where thousands still die each day for the same supposedly worthwhile ideals of peace, LOVE, honour and country, but usually it’s to satisfy the greed and power hunger of a handful of proud and egotistical people. But that’s a story for another day.
Today however, we’ll do as Psalm 100 so wisely instructs us: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps. 100:105)
So, having heard those most encouraging words, let’s grace the Lord’s house on His day with praise and worship through this wonderful rendition of that joyful tune titled ‘Oh Happy Day.’ It’s an 18th century hymn authored by clergyman Phillip Doddridge and recorded in a gospel music arrangement by the Edwin Hawkins Singers in 1967. Soon thereafter, it became an international hit and is now recognized as a gospel music standard.
So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful and joyful rendition, remembering the hand clapping and the call and response of the choir and the lead vocalist. (smile) And as we sing, please let there be no doubt as to our happiness; just allow it to bubble up from our hearts and souls like a wellspring of joy.
Singing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Live rejoicing every day, Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Yes, what a happy day it was, when Jesus washed all my sins away…taught me how to watch and fight and pray…and live rejoicing every day…Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day)…Yes, every day’s now a happy day…since Jesus washed my sins away…and taught me how to watch and pray…and live rejoicing every day… Oh, happy day… oh, happy day…Oh, happy day…’
And oh my fellow saints, it was indeed a happy day when Jesus washed our sins away…the most joyful day ever! Then in His great LOVE, He added to it by teaching us how to watch and fight and pray… and consequently, how to live rejoicing every day in His new covenant. What can be more joyful that that eh? Nothing whatsoever! For in Jesus, we have ALL that we’ll ever need, both in this world and the next!
And these words of Jesus assure us that He is who He said He is, and did what He set out to do. He said them to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who came to Him under cover of darkness to find out what was what. ‘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)
Yuh see friends, all it takes to be saved is true belief in Jesus. He came to save the world, and that’s exactly what He did! Who rejects His saving grace after hearing of it, have only themselves to blame. And He did teach us how to fight by all the rejection and abuse and the awful things he went through on our behalf.
As the author of Hebrews informs us: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Ah mih people, Jesus did teach us how to wage a peaceful war, with LOVE and understanding rather than with worldly weapons and caustic rejoinders. And oh, how He taught us to watch and pray, always making time to spend quietly with the Father and listen to His message, because He knew that he could not accomplish His earthly tasks without the Father’s help and encouragement.
And one of my favourite passages of scripture details that for us. The gospel of Mark puts it thus: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) Now, if Jesus the Son of God, while here on earth needed prayer so earnestly, why wouldn’t we adopted sons need it even more? And the answer is that we do!
So please, let’s wake up to the reality of the situation and realize how badly we need Jesus and all that He brings to the table, otherwise we’ll end up like lost sheep in the wilderness, without a good shepherd, wandering aimlessly, hungry and thirsty, until we die from lack of nourishment…both physical and spiritual. And that would be such a waste of a good life! Much LOVE!
…every sheep…needs a good shepherd to take care of it…and Jesus is our good shepherd…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominations, all these things shall be added unto you, become more intimate with God, Bible, busy society, called by by my name, christianity, crash, deepen my breath, diligently, draw nigh to God, drowning in an evil world, eternal life, eternal source of joy, faith, forgive their sin, free will, god, God is always near, God is just a prayer away, God's omnipresence, he will draw nigh to you, heal their land, hear from heaven, heartfelt prayer, holy spirit, humble themselves, I love them that love me, if my people, in our daily lives, increase my awareness of you, intimacy, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, light of the world, like chickens with our heads cut off, LOVE, mercy, none doeth good, perish. on the open stormy sea, pray, put it into practice, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, remember God's marvellous works, repentnace, rudderless, rushing around, salt of the earth, salvation, seek his face continually, seek my face, seek the Lord and his strength, seek ye first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the God of our forefathers, the Great Commission, the Lord is our strength, the Promised Land, they were all gone aside, those that seek me early will find me, to live successfully in God's kingdom, truth, turn from their wicked ways, weak, wisdom, with no guide or pilot, you are here with me, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
1 Chronicles 16:11. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
Oh what a beautiful lazy-day Saturday! It’s a li’l on the cool side, but the sunshine mitigates the chilliness, (smile) especially when you don’t have to be anywhere at any particular time, and thus you can do whatever you want, whenever you want! Wow! Why can’t we have more days like those eh, instead of the constant rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off, that our busy society seems to demand?
I don’t know, but when we do get days like that, it’s wise and imperative that we enjoy them to the fullest. And having said that, let’s turn to the eternal source of our everlasting joy and give Him some thanks and praise, seek His awesome presence more deeply through our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And that’s all it takes! A short, simple, sincere, heartfelt prayer to bring our heavenly Father rushing down to meet and greet us in greater intimacy, thus allowing us to enjoy His Triune presence with an intensity like never before! And that’s how we grow, how we mature my fellow believers! By getting closer and more intimate with our God, as He says, seeking Him, while He’s near…
But yuh know what, He’s always near; as near as a prayer away! With His omnipresence, meaning His presence everywhere at all times, there’s no time He’s ever not near. But He desires us to call out to Him, to want Him enough to go out of our way to seek Him. That’s why He gave us free will, so that we could consciously choose Him above all else. Then He would really know that our interest is sincere.
And there are so many scriptures on seeking the Lord, that today we ought to look at a few of them, beginning with the most obvious; these immortal words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, while teaching on worry. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Yes friends, if we keep God first place in our lives, all that we need will be given to us. But like all scripture, we first have to believe it and then put it into practice in our daily lives.
Meanwhile, way back in time, the Lord said it thus to the Israelites as they made their way from Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ (2 Chr. 7:14)
Oh my people, that’s exactly what we ought to be doing in these disastrous and chaotic times; turning to the Lord our God, seeking His face through humble prayer and repentance, that He might free us from, and forgive us of the abominations that are currently enveloping our land and world. Can’t you see that a total return to the God of our forefathers is the answer, the only way our land and world will ever be peaceful and joyful again?
Obviously not, for again and again, we allow Satan to deceive us and steal our joy in the Lord, which we know is the very source of our strength. (Neh. 8:10) For as one wise person said, Satan doesn’t want our things, he wants our joy, for once he steals that, we become weak and rudderless, out on the open stormy sea with no guide or pilot, and it’s only a matter of time before we crash on some rocky shore and perish.
Consequently, it’s of the utmost importance that we keep seeking God, His strength, grace, mercy, goodness, LOVE and compassion. That’s why Bruh David in his Song of Thanksgiving so strongly advises: ‘Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.’ (1 Chr. 16:11-12) And Cousin Sol says it like this in Proverbs: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) Then James puts it thus: ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a)
It’s all so simple my brethren; we just have to call out to God for help with sincere hearts. He’s waiting for us to do so, because He wants to lose none of His human creations to eternal damnation. But if we don’t call on Him, then that’s where we’ll end up, breaking His heart with such disobedience.
Meanwhile in Psalm 9 – Praise for God’s Judgement – Bruh David writes: ‘And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps. 9:10) And that’s the gospel truth! And it’s sad that so many of us don’t believe it, therefore don’t put our trust in Him, and therefore lead more miserable lives than is necessary.
Then in Psalm 14 – Man is Corrupt – Bruh David declares (yesss!!!): ‘The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.’ (Ps. 14:2) And what did he find? ‘They are all gone aside (turned away), they are all together become filthy (corrupt): there is none that doeth good, no not one.’ (Ps. 14:3)
Now Bruh David could have been speaking of our current world. And isn’t a sad commentary on us supposed believers, that we’ve allowed Beelzebub and his evil cronies to take so much control of our world. Whatever happened to the Great Commission that Jesus gave us, to go forth and preach the good news of His salvation and eternal life to ALL the world eh? Whatever happened to us being the salt of the earth and shining lights of the word eh?
Obviously, our salt has lost its flavour and our lights have been burned out. But it’s not too late my fellow saints, we can still turn things around if we get up RIGHT NOW and do what we need to do, so that our descendants won’t be left drowning in such an evil and sinful world as the one we now have. Let’s do it for them nuh! Much LOVE!
…to live successfully in God’s kingdom…one must seek Him…sincerely, diligently and continuously…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, as the problems increas, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, asleep at the wheel, backsliders, be able to comfort them which are in trouble, Bible, blessed be God, by the comfort, calamity, call upon me, chaotic world, christianity, comforts us in tribulation, divine aid, errors of their ways, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faithful believers, fellowship, find me, Friday chant, god, God still runs things, God still sits on His throne, hard hearted attitudes, holy spirit, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I will hearken unto you, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, new flock of believers, nothing happens unless God allows it, omnipotent help, our consolation aboundeth by Christ, pray unto me, rolling hellbound, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek me, shocking results, slavatio, so does consolation, stubborn, suffer the consequences, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the divide between God and man, the example, the Father of all mercies, the God of All Comfort, the lustful and prideful ways of the world, the straight and narrow path, the throne of grace, the wide and winding path, this too must pass, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, truth, unexpected storms, ungodly times, ungraeful, wake up and smell the coffee, we ourselves are comforted of God, wise guidance
2 Corinthians 1:5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) aboundeth by Christ, (as the problems increase, so does the consolation).
So Friday is here at last, and all the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’ rise to high heaven, in thanksgiving for the upcoming end of another tough work week; what with the shocking results of the U.S. Presidential occupying the minds and sensibilities of our already chaotic world. But yuh know what friends? That, like everything else in this crazy world must pass!
Granted, some unnatural and evil things might befall us before it does, but let’s remember that the Great God Jehovah still sits on His heavenly throne and still runs things, though it may seem He is asleep at the wheel. But that’s incorrect, for nothing happens in this world unless He allows it. That’s the comfort we have to take as believers in His Son Jesus Christ. And consequently, let’s never forget these most encouraging words of Bruh Paul from his second missive to the church at Corinth.
‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation (comfort) aboundeth by Christ, (as the problems increase, so does the consolation). (2 Cor. 1:3-5)
Now that’s the wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! One who comforts us in all our trials, so that we can comfort each other with that same comfort we receive from Him! Wow! Please give our amazing and awesome God some thanks and praise for His goodness and mercy to us, underserving children of men! For we certainly don’t deserve all that He’s done on our behalf, but His LOVE towards us is so great that He just cannot help Himself!
Remember He made us for Himself; to have wonderful and LOVING fellowship with Him, and to do His will, so His connection to us is undeniably strong. The problem is that we haven’t returned the LOVE that He desires of us, that’s why there’s the divide between us, a divide He’s desirous of fixing and doing His best to fix, but we, with our stubborn, hardhearted, ungrateful attitudes are refusing to have anything to do with the fixing, preferring the lustful and prideful ways of the world.
Then we’ll just have to suffer whatever consequences those ungodly things and actions bring us, praying that hopefully, before it’s too late, we wake up and see the wrongness of our ways. Remember how Jesus emphasized that we walk the straight and narrow and difficult path that leads to Him and eternal life, and not the wide, winding and easy path that we’re choosing which leads to hellfire and eternal damnation, to eternal separation from Almighty God. (Matt. 7:13-14) And nowhere in time has this wisdom been more important and necessary than right now, as our world seems to be rolling hell bound with increasing speed as each and every day goes by.
Oh my fellow saints, please, let’s remember what God said to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, when He exiled them to Babylon for their disobedience and idolatrous ways. He promised to return them to their land after a period of seventy years had elapsed. ‘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)
And that sounds like a wonderful promise, but it was not going to happen automatically, for the Lord added this addendum to it: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, the Lord won’t rain down blessings on us for no good reason. No! We have to sincerely seek and search for Him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Remember Jesus said that was the first and great commandment. (Matt. 22:37) And if we don’t follow that first commandment, how can we expect to receive anything good from God eh?
That’s just a fool’s wisdom. You can’t dilly dally, or hob knob with Satan and sin, and then expect to receive salvation and eternal life from God. That’s never going to happen! Not even in our wildest dreams! So please, let’s wake up and see the frail, fickle and sinful state of our world nuh, and make the wise and wonderful decision to forsake sin and Satan and return to Jesus Christ and His righteousness. And to help us make that magnificent change, let’s go to the throne of grace through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid in our time of great need.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And let’s not fool ourselves with that prayer, for divine aid will not be forthcoming unless we step up to the plate and become better examples of Christian belief! Much LOVE!
…God is good and merciful and compassionate…but He also expects us to…sincerely seek Him…and obey His will and ways…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
07 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a disatrous and disgraceful state, a great family, a positive outlook on life., anything praiseworthy, ashamed of my own reluctance, be with you, Bible, cannot please God, christianity, clear direction for my life, coldness, curse, destruction, died to our sins, don't desire God, duty bound, end in chaos, faith, favour, for all eternity, for the benefit of others, get thee behind me Satan, give me grace, god, good freinds, good health, holy spirit, honest, if ye then be risen with Christ, Jesus Christ, John Henry Newman, just, LOVE, lovely, lustful appetites, make me desire you, mercy, mind the things of the flesh, moral and spiritual direction of God, negative word, noble, not on things of the earth, on the right hand of God, our world is in such shambles, prayer, Prayers through the Ages, prideful things of the earth, prosper, pure, rouse me from sloth, sacred reading, salvation, seek those things which are above, set your affection on things above, shambles, snare, spend eternity in heaven, succeed, success, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, teach me, temptations, the God of peace, the Spirit of God dwell in you, the things of heaven, the things of the Spirit, they that after the flesh, they that are after the Spirit, think on these things, thou savourest not the things of God, to love meditation, trap, truth, whatsoever things are true, whcih must engage my mind, where Christ sits, wisdom, with my whole heart, you are dead, your life is hid with Christ in god
Colossians 3:1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
And then it was Thursday; sunny and bright, but windy and somewhat chilly, with the warm weather of the last few days disappearing, the same way it surprisingly occurred. (smile) And today we want to share an interesting and most appropriate prayer from the pamphlet of Prayers Through the Ages, recently put out by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto, that we sampled last week. This prayer is credited to one John Henry Newman, 1801-1890.
So please pray with me: ‘Give me grace, O my Father, to be utterly ashamed of my own reluctance. Rouse me from sloth and coldness, and make me desire you with my whole heart. Teach me to LOVE meditation, sacred reading, and prayer. Teach me to LOVE that which must engage my mind for all eternity. Amen.’
Now my brethren, wouldn’t you say that many of us surely need the stuff that Mr. Newman was asking for way back when? We surely do! Talk about sloth and coldness…we supposed believers exhibit that behaviour oftentimes more than the unbelievers! And it’s obvious that we don’t desire God with our whole hearts. In fact too many of us don’t desire Him at all. Otherwise our world would not be in such a disastrous and disgraceful state.
And talking of meditation, sacred reading and prayer…Wow! Too many of us don’t even know what they are, much less to practice them continuously and fervently! Again, that’s one of the reasons why our world is sin such shambles; not enough sincere time spent in God’s word, neither enough communication with Him through prayer.
For as we spoke yesterday, a society that doesn’t have the moral and spiritual direction of Almighty God will surely end in chaos and destruction before too long, for it’s the moral and spiritual fibre of a society that keeps it working in harmony and longevity. And it’s obvious that too many of us don’t keep our minds on the things that ought to ‘engage our minds for all eternity,’ that’s keep our thoughts on things above instead of on the lustful and prideful things of the earth.
Bruh Paul wrote it thus to the Colossians: ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ (Col. 3:1-3) Yes friends, if we died to our sins with Christ, then we can’t continue to live for the things of the earth.
And to the Philippians Bruh Paul gave some practical examples of what those things ought to be. ‘He writes: ‘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 on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
So there we have some of the better things to think on while we live with and for Christ here on this fallen earth. And isn’t the conversation between Peter and Jesus interesting, after He told the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the scribes and Pharisees, be killed, then be raised on the third day. (Matt. 16:21)
The Bible tells us: ‘Then Peter took him (aside), and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord (God be merciful to you): this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not (are not mindful of) the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’ (Matt. 16:22-23)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. As per His remark about ‘Satan: The Lord recognized in Peter’s words a repetition of the temptations to avoid the cross that He had undergone in the wilderness. The word translated offence means a “trap” or “snare.” Savourest means “You don’t look at things from God’s point of view, but from man’s.” It occurs in Romans 8:5 and Philippians 2:5, meaning to adopt and maintain an attitude of mind upon which one’s life and actions are based.’
And too many of us are certainly guilty of looking at the things of men rather than those of God. As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Rom. 8:5-9)
That says it loud and clear my fellow believers; we can’t be both of the flesh and the Spirit at the same time, riding the fence, like so many of us try to do. It’s either one or the other. And we do have so many things that enable us to think of the things of God, if we use them. For instance these undeserved blessings that we call our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. So let’s declare them right now, so that they can be activated in us.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…if we intend to spend eternity in heaven…then we ought to keep our minds on the things of heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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