21 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bad day, a better tomorrow, a greater purpose, adversity, an enduring daily trust, Anselm, aspires to inspire, assertive action, at the mercy of others, beautiful blossoms, Bible Study, blocking traffic, Bobby Schuller, boulders of ice, brown grass, build faith, built on taking chances, Christ's promises, Christian faith, come against us, count it all joy, do something for Christ, don't let others decide, enable us to do anything, escape, faith, faith is not a leap, faithful promise, fall into divers temptations, fight for your happiness, fleshly suffering, God can do the impossible, God has bruised, God is good, God uses trouble, gospel truth, grow in faith, hard work, heavenly Father, help, ice storm, in all their glory, inconvenience, joy, joyful terms, lacking nothing, laugh, lean on God, learn to value yourself, leaves, look back, Look to God, LOVE, mature, men of faith, Mother Earth, my brethren, natural response, negative experiences, perfect, poor self-image, positive work, press on, produces patience, raise our self-image, risk the usual, running afoul of, same old, settle for the ordinary, short memories, shy away, specks of green, spiritual growth, spring has sprung, stand fast, strength, take a chance, take advantage of, take control of our lives, testing, the enemy, the trials of life, the trying of faith, tough times, trust in God, various trials, victory, wisdom
James 1:2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).
At last friends, at long last, some of the ice that’s covered the ground from the ice storm a week ago has finally melted…Yay! And we can now see some of Mother Earth’s dirtyish brown grass with specks of green thrown in for good measure. Glory be!
But not all of the ice has melted, there are still several patches of it all around. And from my kitchen window I can see about three or four solid boulders of ice lying at the side of the road, and the big lump of ice that clogged the entrance to my lane when they cleaned the main road last week is still there, blocking traffic and making it difficult to enter the lane.
But God is good! Let’s remember that, and a few weeks from now when spring has finally sprung and the leaves and beautiful blossoms are out in all their glory, we’ll look back and laugh at this inconvenience. Hn, hn! Yeh mih people, it’s a good thing the Lord blessed us with short memories.
However, it’s Saturday, so let’s turn our attention to some of this week’s quotes from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us to a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘Learn to value yourself, which means fight for your happiness.’
Oh my people, too many of us don’t value ourselves highly enough, we have a poor self-image, thus others take advantage of us. Therefore we need to raise our self- image through Bible study and assertive action if we want to control our lives and thus our happiness. And the next quote is basically about the same thing; taking control of our lives.
‘Don’t let other people decide whether you are going to have a fantabulous or bad day, make that decision yourself.’ Again, too many of us allow others to run our lives and decide what kind of day we’re going to have. That is counter productive friends. We have to learn to stand on our own two feet and make those kinds of decision for ourselves, otherwise we’ll always be at the mercy of others.
And the final quote says: ‘If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.’ In other words, take a chance! And that is gospel truth! If you never take chances and just stay with the tried and true, the same old, same old, then the same old, same old is all you’ll ever get.
Our society and our Christian faith was built on our forefathers and the early Christians taking chances, even when it meant running afoul of the authorities and thus possible loss of life. And as we Christians know, whenever we step out to do something for Christ, the enemy will most likely come against us and try to prevent us from doing it.
But because of Christ’s promises and His power to enable us to do anything, we don’t have to shy away, but press on regardless. And we do that through faith. But faith doesn’t just come like by wishing it. On the contrary it’s something we have to build, through constant hard work and adversity.
And Cousin Bobby (Bobby Schuller- Hour of Power) says that ‘Faith is not a leap, but an enduring daily trust that God can do the impossible in your life.’ And that’s no lie! Each and every day we awaken we have to learn to keep the trust in God we earned the day before, and to build on it, so that tomorrow it will be even stronger. That’s how we build faith my brethren – from day to day, through whatever trial comes our way.
That brings us to our Bit, some rather interesting words from James, Jesus’ brother, in his epistle to the Christians dispersed around the world. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).’ Now who wants to find trials joyful eh? Nobody! But friends, that’s the only way we’ll grow in faith.
As James continues: ‘Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ James 1:3-4) Yeh friends, as long as we are believers, our faith will always be tested, and we need to stand fast so that we can grow.
And the scholars got it right: ‘1:4. The natural response to adversity is to escape it. But God uses trouble to mature His people.’ Oh, we certainly know it’s rough, and do try to escape, but much to our dismay, that’s just part of the life of faith we’re trying live.
The scholars further tell us: ‘1:2-3. In this epistle on Christian living, James opens with a most crucial topic: the trials of life. These verses describe the various testings – whether from the world and Satan, or from God – into which godly Christians fall (Gr. peripipto).
These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing….It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’
Unfortunately mih people growing in spiritual faith is not easy, as can be seen from the lives of all great men of faith, especially Jesus. But they all kept constantly looking to the heavenly Father for the strength to carry on, and He gave it to them. Likewise, if we look to our heavenly Father for strength and wisdom to carry on in tough times, He WILL give it to us.
So friends, whatever is coming against us right now, let’s try and think of it in joyful terms nuh, (smile) believing that God is allowing it for a greater purpose than we can imagine, and lean on Him for the help to come through it successfully. He will not disappoint us. That’s His faithful promise! Much LOVE!
…spiritual growth…is based on fleshly suffering…
19 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, accumulate, affluence of the wicked, asaph, boastful, bring us joy, Christ is Lord, Christians, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, cut off, disgusting situations, dreary looking day, envious, every knee must bow, every tongue confess, evil doers, God is good, God is the strength of my heart, God's sanctuary, great commission, great invitation, Hallelujah, happiness, I had stumbled, important aspects, inherit the earth, light, live for Jesus, Love of Jesus, my feet were almost gone, my flesh and my heart fails, negative word, no words, our faith, peace, positive outlook, power, prosper, prosperous wickedness, relationship with god, repented, self-control, self-discipline, seriously enough, sold their souls, succeed, talent, thank the Lord for Jesus, the foolish, the name above every other, the prosperity, the things of the world, the wicked, Thursday Blessings, to do Christ justice, to the glory of God, ungodliness, wait upon the Lord, wealth of the world, wisdom
Psalm 73:3. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Ah mih people, it’s a good thing that we have the light, the power, peace and LOVE of Jesus residing within us yes, otherwise when we look outside all we’d see is the beginning of another cold, damp and dreary looking day. Steups!
Thank the Lord for Jesus oui! Shout ‘Hallelujah!’ and praise His most wonderful and holy name. The name that’s above every other name and to which every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of our heavenly Father.
Mama Mia! How beautiful is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? There are no words in the human vocabulary to do Him justice! And when we add all the sad and disgusting situations existing in our current world and it’s exceeding ungodliness, it just makes us want to LOVE and live for Jesus even more.
Now over the last two days we have spoken about Jesus’ Great Commission and His Great Invitation, but yuh know what friends, too many of us Christians are not taking those very important aspects of our faith seriously enough.
Unfortunately we are turning to the things of the world to bring us joy, peace and happiness; seeking to accumulate the wealth of the world, so that we can leave lots of it behind for our families and lawyers to fight over when we depart this life.
Oh my breddren, too many of us are behaving like the psalmist Asaph when he wrote Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. Hear how he opens it: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Yeh friends, just like Asaph, many, too many of us are looking at the prosperity of the wicked and are being envious and jealous of them and trying to be like them. But that’s not our calling my people. We are called to be righteous and to do good in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
And if we do that, we’ll end up as Jesus promised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes, if we look to God first, He will provide all that we need. As Bruh Paul said to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by (through) Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19)
It’s obvious though that many of us either don’t know those promises or don’t believe or adhere to them since we are so busily seeking the things of the world, which eventually perish and we have to leave behind anyway. We seem to think like Asaph did, even though he was a highly spiritual man, as he continues after our Bit.
‘For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish.’ (Ps.73:4-7)
Yeh friends, the ungodly and wicked are currently prospering in this evil world, but it won’t be forever. Listen as Bruh David tells about the true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps.37:3)
And the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 73: This psalm is another dealing with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Unlike Psalm 37, however, it does not emphasize the brevity of that prosperity. The author observes that sometimes the bounty achieved by the wicked does in fact last throughout life (v.4).
He emphasizes every believer’s need to test his own personal relationship with God. That alone provides the ultimate satisfaction available to the believer who witnesses the affluence of the wicked. That’s a fact that almost caused him to stumble spiritually and lose his faith.’
Ah mih people, I know that we suffer from the same problem, but like Asaph, we can also overcome it. And how did he do so? Hear him: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps.73:17)
Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars further explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs.17-28) He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs.17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs.21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs.23-28).’
And so can we my brethren, if we look solely to God for our earthly sustenance and not be envious of those who seem to have it all, for who knows if they sold their souls to achieve that power and abundance. And eventually, like Asaph, we will also be able to declare: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:26)
And having said that, let’s go home now declaring our Thursday Blessings, those wonderful attributes the Lord pours down on those sincerely believe and stand steadfast with Him. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And the corollary to that, is to now go out and generously share those blessings with the less fortunate, as Jesus intends for us to do. Much LOVE!
…evil doers shall be cut off…but those that wait upon the Lord…shall inherit the earth… (Ps.37:9)
28 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a god of judgement, a wonderful God, alleviating my sickness, alter your word, always comes through, blessed, catastrophe, closure, common grind, confident, daily task, dependent trust in God, doubting Thomas, doubts, emotions, encouraged, exalt His holy name, eyes fixed straight ahead, face it honestly, faithful believers, firmly established, forgive me, fortify my will, gain in doubting, glory to God, God can do anything, God is a big God, God is good, God's hand of love, God's time, God's truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, hope, I will wait, in the hospital, invasive surgery, justice, lesson to learn, limiting you, LOVE, major illnesses, make all things right, make me strong, may be gracious to you, may have mercy on you, mind-boggling, miracle, mitigating factor, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our benefit, our time, our truth, persistent questions, personal choice, praying for a miracle, purify my heart, rely on god's promises, Ruth Harms Calkin, sense God's presence, strange twsiting of my life, strengthen thine heart, testify, the breath of life, the living God, the Lord will be exalted, they that wait for him, to no avail, trust, undeserving children of men, unforgettable night, ups and downs, wait, wait in faith, waiting, Wednesday Wail, will the Lord wait, working in the background, you are good
Isaiah 30:18. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.
Well friends, I slept in my own bed last night, and it wasn’t half bad! At least the ole back isn’t aching nearly as much as that unforgettable night I spent in the hospital, and it was much easier to get up from too. Glory to God! So this morning we’re back to the daily task and common grind and I just have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind now.
Over the past year I’ve been trying my best to get some closure on my major illnesses, but all to no avail. And for a moment there, I thought the Lord had finally decided it was time to do what seemed necessary, but obviously I was wrong.
And as He is so famous for doing, He even led me to this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin simply titled ‘I Will Wait.’ Yuh get the message? (smile)
Please pray with me: ‘O Lord Today I must face it honestly with You By pursuing the persistent questions within me. God, is there any gain at all by my doubting? Do doubts make me stronger? Do they purify my heart? Fortify my will? Are my emotions firmly established by my doubts? Are my family and friends encouraged?
On the other hand, God Even though I see no possible way out Of the catastrophe I now face Is there anything more pleasing to You Than my personal choice to trust You? I know it is true, Lord I must rely on Your promises in the end. Would You be glorified, dear God If I trusted You now at the early beginning?
O God, forgive me For so limiting You. Surely you know exactly what you will do. You are God, so You will not alter Your Word. Your power is instantly operative In all the strange twisting of my life. You are God, so You are good. I will hope I will trust I will wait On the living God!’
Yeh mih people, that is a lesson we must all learn if we are to be faithful believers. And I’ve learned it a tad in a hard manner over the last couple days. What seems to be our truth, isn’t always God’s. And what seems to be our time, isn’t always His either. We just have to learn to wait expectantly and with a good attitude until He finally decides to allow whatever He thinks is necessary to happen.
And that’s not always easy, especially when it’s to do with sickness. But from my experiences in this past year, I can definitely say that God is good! I’ve had plenty of ups and downs, but there was always some mitigating factor to ease the downs. He never just left me alone to go through my problems by myself. I could always see His hand working in the background, possibly not as much or how I would have liked, but I could always sense His presence.
And even when He was not alleviating my sickness, I could still feel His hand of LOVE moving as He gave me some of my heart’s desires. They certainly made up for some of the disappointment with the illness. That’s why today, I can testify that we serve such a wonderful God! He doesn’t always do what we want or when we want it, but He ALWAYS comes through in the end!
And though I’ve had this setback with the heart problem, I know that eventually, when He is good and ready, He will make all things right. Give Him thanks and praise, my people, exalt His holy name for He is certainly good to us, sinful and undeserving children of men!
And I have to chuckle here, because I never really intended to testify, but the Lord seems to have drawn it out of me unconsciously. And not only that, but the Lord has just shown me our doubting Thomas’ way, because from the very beginning I’ve been praying for a miracle, where I’d have to go through no invasive surgery, but now that it might have happened, I can’t truly believe or accept it.
And that’s how we are friends; we pray for big things but when they do happen, we find it difficult to accept them. But just remember that our God is a Big God and He can do ANYTHING. So if we pray big prayers, let’s not be surprised when they happen.
And the scripture promise for our poem today is also our Bit; wise and wonderful words of the prophet Isaiah as he appeals to his people to turn to the Lord for help. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’
Yes friends, if God can wait for us, so can we wait for Him. And remember it’s all for our benefit, not for His. The scholars offer this wise explanation. ’30:18-33. Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him, He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God.’ And so it is my brethren.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail in strong voice and sincere sense of purpose, letting the world know that we are truly and seriously involved with our God and Friend, Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it will indeed be a glorious future, more mind boggling than we can ever think or imagine! Much LOVE!
…Wait (in faith)…on the Lord…and he shall strengthen thine heart…wait (in faith)…I say…on the Lord. (Ps.27:14)
19 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a thousadn years in thy sight, a watch in the night, adrenaline, apply our hearts to wisdom, as yesterday, aura of love, bedrock, carnal, confidence, dangerous, enthusiasm, evil, Family day, foundation, frail, further God's glorious kingdom, gain a heart of wisdom, God is good, gone tomorrow, heapeth up riches, here today, holy spirit, hope in God, jealousy, jobs, keeping lives together, lies, life's not fair, living truth, measure of my days, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Presidents Day, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resentment, sally forth, serve a useful purpose, state of our hearts, state of our livers, taunts, teach us, the rat race, to number our days, unfair, ungodly world, vanity, vapour, weary souls, wiles, worldly lives
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom.)
Oh what a beautiful day this Monday will be in most of North America friends! Yes, that’s because it’s a public holiday. In the U.S. it’s the Presidents Day, honouring its Presidents. And in most of Canada it’s being celebrated as Family Day, although a few provinces call it by a different name.
So that means it’s been a long weekend, with NO WORK today for many of us, but ample time to party and/or rest, whichever catches our fancy. (smile) Thank the Lord that we don’t have to get up and join the rat race today!
But you know that our society has become such that it never really shuts down, it can’t afford to if we want to live our current lifestyle, so on public holidays some people always have to go to work while others enjoy a pleasurable day off. Yeh, life’s not fair, but God is good!
Consequently, or rather, especially on a day like this, we need to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to quell any jealousy and resentment that might arise in the spirits of our fellow believers who have to go out and labour today, while we remain at home and enjoy the good life. So let’s belt it out now in our strongest and most harmonious voice.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Hn, hn! Ah friends, the voices might have been strong, but rather hoarse and definitely not harmonious. But Jesus understands, He knows the state of our hearts…and our livers. (smile) And as always, it’s the ones who are not going to work who are the loudest and most disharmonious. I wonder why eh?
I just hope that our unfortunate brethren who have to work today have been well fortified by our singing and that the adrenaline is flowing through their bodies, making them eager to go out and fight the good fight of faith in Jesus’ name.
And as for those of us who are staying at home, please be responsible, remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind your business.’ That’s because we don’t want to give the enemy a chance to get into our spirits, and we will have to go out to work tomorrow, and if we’re all tired out and mashed up from too much celebration today, we’ll be of not much use to Jesus then. So remember, exhibit a modicum of circumspection, for it will serve you in good stead in the long run. End of sermon!
And as I was looking for an appropriate Bit, this verse from Moses’ Psalm caught my eye. ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom.)’ Now here I’m taking Moses’ words literally, wanting to know how long our lives will be.
But that is something we’ll never know until the fateful day arrives. That means we have to be smart and live wisely every day! If we knew when our time would be up, many of us would choose to live carnal and worldly lives until just before we leave, then come running to God for forgiveness. But that’s not possible, so if we want to end up in heaven with Jesus, we have to live right, RIGHT NOW, since He can call us home at any moment in time.
Bruh David also sought to know his end, in Psalm 39 – A prayer for self-understanding. ‘Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.’ (Ps. 39:4) Yeh friends, in terms of the big picture of the universe, we are indeed frail.
And Bruh David continues: ‘Behold thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best is altogether vanity (vapour). Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain show (as a shadow); surely they are disquieted in vain (make an uproar for nothing): he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.’ (Ps.39:5-7)
And isn’t all of that the living truth my people? It surely is! Our lives are vapour- like, here today and gone tomorrow. We pile up riches not knowing who is going to waste them away. And like Moses declares of God: ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’ (Ps.90:4) A thousand years to God is like one day to us. Hn! That just goes to show how flimsy our lives are, especially in comparison to God.
So having noted all of that, what’s our next move eh? Like Bruh David says: ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’ (Ps.39:7) Oh friends, that’s wisdom at its zenith, so please, let’s be wise and do it nuh. Much LOVE!
…hope in God…should be the bedrock…the very foundation of our lives…
06 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper phase, a sour face, a tremulous situation, aroma, ascension, assurance, beloved of God, blaming, bring a smile, cracked earth, crediting, deeper the pain, diffuse, ditch of depression, dr robert h schuller, draws back the curtain, essential for survival, eternal life, faithful, force, friend of Jesus, give thanks to Almighty God, gives us the victory, God is good, God's grace, God's great earth, goodness, harder the fall, heartache, heated words, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, Jesus Christ, lend healing, lose a loved one, LOVE, love of Christ, maturity, negative things, negative times, non-acceptance of Christ, not totally alone, omnipotence, perish, pierce today's darkness, positive prayer, positive thoughts, problems, promise of eternal life, promises, raise the level of our faith, relationship with god, resurrection, reunited, sacrificial death, salvation, saved, seed of faith, share, slippery step, soften a hard heart, standing firm, strife, sweet fragrance, thank you, Thanks be to God, the Father of love, the raging storm, there to help us, through our Lord, tomorrow's light, tomorrows, triumph in Christ, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vital element, war, worry, worse the loss
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ah mih people, welcome to another day on God’s great earth! Oh, I know that we will be surrounded by numerous problems and everyday we hear of more and more foolish strife, war and heated words in our society, but that’s no reason not to give thanks to Almighty God for the good things He’s done, is doing, and will do in our individual lives. Yeh friends, telling God, ‘Thank You,’ is essential for our very survival.
Now I’m going to share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional that I’m pretty sure I’ve never shared before. I don’t know why, if it was just too long and didn’t lend itself to useful paraphrasing, but to day I’m going to share the entire thing, because I believe it’s ever so important for believers in these violent and negative times to understand.
So here goes. In the first place it is titled: ‘Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!’ So you know it’s all about thanking God.
And Gramps Schuller says: ‘When you lose a LOVED one, there is a way to thank God. You can thank Him for the promise of eternal life. You can thank Him for the assurance that someday you will be reunited with the one you’ve lost. The worse the loss, the harder the fall, the deeper the pain – the more you need to say, “Thank You, Lord!”
Thank You, Lord! is the force that draws back the curtains, letting tomorrow’s light pierce today’s darkness. Thank You, Lord! is the first slippery step back up from the ditch of depression. Thank You, Lord! is the seed of faith planted in the dry, cracked earth. When you least feel like doing it – say Thank You, Lord!
You don’t say Thank You to God because you are crediting or blaming Him for your heartache. NO! Nothing could be further from the truth! God is good! He is the Father of LOVE and goodness! Most of the time we make our own heartache. Why then do we say Thank You, Lord, in the midst of the raging storm?
We say Thank You, Lord, that you’re still there to help us! Thank You, Lord, that I’m not totally alone! Thank You, Lord for the help you will send me. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for tomorrows that are sure to come. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! It’s a vital element of positive prayer.’
Oh friends, I do hope that Gramps Schuller’s words on the importance of saying ‘Thank You,’ to God, have resonated and reverberated in us, and will continue to do so, because if we want to have positive thoughts and actions, we first have to use positive words, in spite of our circumstances. And there are no simpler and yet more positive words than those two: ‘Thank You!’
In our crazy, confused and troubled world, when said to others, they can diffuse a tremulous situation; soften a hard heart, lend healing to a broken one, and bring a smile to a sour face. And when we sincerely say them to God, we just raise the level of our faith and maturity.
Our relationship with our heavenly Father enters a deeper phase, because we are acknowledging His goodness and LOVE, His omnipotence and ability to control circumstances, both our own and the world’s. We are saying in effect, ‘heavenly Father we trust You, regardless of what’s happening in our lives and the world. We’re standing firm on Your promises, because we know that You are faithful and will keep EVERY promise that You’ve made.’
Now here is our Bit, which declares the thing that we ought to be most grateful for and give the most thanks for: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Yes my fellow believers, we can never be too thankful or grateful for the victory over death, hell, the grave and any other negative things, that Jesus has given us through His own sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension, through the never-ending grace of our heavenly Father.
And Bruh Paul further sates in his second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to (leads us in) triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour (fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ, in (among) them that are saved, and in (among) them that perish.’ (2 cor.2:14-15)
Oh friends, are we ever a sweet fragrance to God when we accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and wisely accept His free offer of salvation and eternal life, and thus will not be relegated to the foolish group that will perish because of their non-acceptance of Christ. He doesn’t want anything more than that. So, with His awesome help, let’s do our best to bring others to that realization nuh.
Now let’s go home declaring to the world who and whose we are in our Tuesday Mantra. In full voice and heartfelt sincerity: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we are sincere, then let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE of Christ, as He so ardently desires. Much LOVE!
…LOVE unshared…is No LOVE at all…
08 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a heavy old door, adopted children, ancient seals, apostate church, Behold, being born again, being saved, Christ's blessings, Christ-like image, church at Laodicea, come into him, constant repetition, dr robert h schuller, embrace Jesus, evil times, fallen world, fellowship, footsteps of Jesus, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God is good, he that hath an ear, hear my voice, hear something new, heavenly advocate, heavenly Father, Hour of Power Devotional, human animal, I stand at the door, improve our knowledge of Jesus, interact with Jesus, knock, learn to know God, let him hear, life's not fair, light at the end of the tunnel, listen, look forward to, LOVE, mid-point, money, my heart opening, not looking back, old chains break, on my throne, open the door, positive effect, pride in wealth, Redeemer, reigning with Christ, reject the advances, rejection of Jesus, relationship with Jesus, set down with my Father, sit with me, smart money on Jesus, spiritual conditions, spiritual. emotional walls, sup with him, support our families, talk, the breath of life, the Great tribulation, the joy of a soul, the Rapture, the weekend, to him who overcomes, transitional times, walking into my life, Wednesday, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, workweek
Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.
And then it was Wednesday, the mid-point of our workweek! Yeh friends, some light is showing up at the end of the tunnel. It’s interesting though, how we all look forward to the weekend so that we can get some time off work, but very few of us look forward to the workweek so that we can make some money to support our families and ourselves.
One would think that working would be the more important part of the equation, but apparently it’s not. I guess that’s just the nature of the human animal, especially in these turbulent and transitional times. (smile)
But here is something to help us from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. I’ve shared it before, but it’s one of those things that seem to need repeated sharing for us to get it indelibly written in our hearts, souls and minds. It’s called ‘Learn to Know God.’
Please pray with me. ‘Dear Jesus, I’ve got to know You better. Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy old door whose ancient seals have just begun to break. I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You, Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen!’
Ah mih people, I do hope that those words, especially the fact that life’s not fair, but God IS good, are having some positive effects on us this day, because we ALL need to improve our knowledge and experiences with Jesus, our Redeemer and heavenly Advocate. And we can only do some of that by constant repetition.
Oh, I know some of us want to hear something new everyday, but what’s the point when we haven’t learned what we heard the day before eh? Like everything else in this fallen world, we only learn stuff when we encounter it regularly, and that’s never more true that with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The more we interact with him, the more we come to learn about and LOVE Him. And that’s the only way we can ever be changed into His Christ-like image, which is the heartfelt desire and purpose of our heavenly Father for each of us, His adopted children.
Consequently the message of Jesus to the church at Laodicea through John’s revelation is extremely important for believers right down through the ages, especially for us in these grossly evil times. ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup (dine) with him, and he with me.’
Yes friends, when Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts let’s be quick to answer, throw it wide open and embrace Him without any hesitation, for that’s wisdom of unmatched magnitude!
And please note I said, when He knocks, not if He knocks, for Jesus is continually knocking at the portals of our hearts, just dying to come in and have an intense and ever so satisfying relationship with us. We don’t know what we’re missing out on, when we reject the advances of Jesus.
Listen to what He says after our Bit. ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in (on) my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in (on) his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ (Rev. 3:21-22)
Yuh hear that awesome promise my people? If we stand up strong with and for Jesus, we’ll have the everlasting privilege of sitting with Him on His heavenly throne, just like He sits with the Father now, after He overcame His earthly trials and tribulations.
And the scholars offer these explanations to those verses. ‘3:20-22. In light of the spiritual conditions of the Laodiceans described in verses 17-18, (pride in their wealth and rejection of Jesus) the invitation of verse 20 seems to be evangelistically addressed to individual members of an apostate church (religious abandonment), so they might receive Christ genuinely as Saviour and Lord (cf. John 1:12; 10:27).
To sup (dine) means to have fellowship (cf. Luke 22:30; John 14:23) and to enjoy Christ’s blessings. The promise to sit with Christ in His throne refers to reigning with Christ in His kingdom (cf. Matt.19:28; Rev. 20:4; 22:1). Verse 22 contains the last reference to the church before chapter 22, implying that the Rapture will occur before the events of chapters 4-19 and thus that the church will not be present on earth during the Great Tribulation.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ And so we should, if we know we’re not going to be here on earth when the great upheaval comes.
Oh friends, I don’t know how else to put it so that we can be convinced of Jesus’ eventual victory nuh, but as they say, the smart money IS on Jesus!
And for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail with much gusto and enthusiasm. ‘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!’
Now let’s go out and share the good news with others. Much LOVE!
…two ears…and only one mouth…means we need to listen more than we talk…
30 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a magnificent day, abundance, alive and kicking, almighty god, assurance, Beautiful Things Happen, bread was buttered, changing circumstances, Christian, common sense, day by day, dependent, did good, do for myself, down the pipeline from heaven, fighting for their very lives, filling our hearts, flowing like crazy, food, fulfilled, full of tears, give thanks, gladness, gladness in my heart, God is good, grace, graciousness, guidance, halfway home, hate evil, hidden treasures, holding back, Hurricane Harvey, I meet you, I'm not looking back, in prayer, in quietness and confidence, in the time of corn, inner wholeness, joy, keep on keeping on, lay me down in peace, light, living for the Lord, looking ahead, LOVE, Love the Lord, loving-kindness, makest me dwell in safety, man's nature, mature, mercies, my hands are on the plough, new blessings, not easily disturbed, One Year Book of Bible promises, really be true, Rejoice in the Lord, remember others, reservation, responsive, revelation. God's word, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifices, satisfied, seek the Lord, surrender our lives, thank God, the breath of life, the creation, the righteous, the sun and Son are shining, thou Lord, treasured, trust, trusting in Jesus christ, truth, Wednesday Wail, whispered secrets, wildfires, wisdom, witness
Psalm 4:7-8. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Oh mih breddren, it’s Wednesday! Yay! I got it right! After last week’s mess up, I have to check each day before I write. (smile) And yuh know what people, it’s not only Wednesday, but it also looks like it’s going to be a magnificent Wednesday!
Why, you ask? Well check this out nuh: We are alive and kicking, and both the sun and the Son are shining as brilliantly as ever, and brand new blessings, things like mercies and grace are flowing like crazy down the pipeline from heaven for all those who choose to seek the Lord and His overwhelming LOVING-kindness!
Wow! Now if that doesn’t portend a magnificent day, then I don’t know what does. But friends, with all of that goodness flooding some of our lives, let’s remember others in prayer, who are suffering, fighting for their very lives as Hurricane Harvey passed through Texas and is now heading for Louisiana, though on a lesser scale.
Let’s also remember those people out in British Columbia and those in California who are fighting deadly wildfires, some of them for a couple of months now. Not all of us have it fairly easy, and the least we can do is offer up sincere prayers for their safety.
Now here is another wonderful something else. (smile) It’s an uplifting and reassuring poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. I just could not pass up sharing it. It’s titled ‘Beautiful Things Happen.’
Please pray with me. ‘O God Such beautiful things happen When I meet You day by day In quietness and confidence. There is a deep inner wholeness And the assurance of Your guidance. I am not so easily disturbed By changing circumstances. I am less dependent on others And more dependent on You.
My eyes may be full of tears But my heart is full of joy. In discovering Your hidden treasures I learn how deeply I am treasured by You. When day by day I am responsive To your Whispered secrets You do more for me in one day Than I could do for myself in a lifetime.’
Glory Hallelujah mih people! That’s the life of a true practicing and mature Christian right there! That’s how our days usually unfold when we lay it all out before the Lord in the early morning hours.
There is untold joy in living for the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob even though our individual circumstances might be somewhat rough at any particular time!
But nonetheless as the Promise for that Poem, which is our Bit, declares: ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’
Yeh friends, words of indisputable truth from Bruh David! That is the kind of trust and assurance we have in Almighty God, when we sincerely surrender our lives to Him. And why shouldn’t we eh, when He is the Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein? That’s only the height of wisdom and common sense!
As I keep saying, Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered, that’s why he kept the God of his forefathers at the very front of his life, and if we are wise, we would also do the same thing.
And the author of Psalm 97 – The Lord is far above all gods – echoes the same sentiments. ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil; he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (his holy name.)’ (Ps.97:10-12) Truer words were never spoken my fellow believers!
And yuh know what, one of our current problems is that though we say we believe in God, we don’t truly rejoice and be glad in Him like we ought to.
There’s always some kind of reservation, some holding back of something, we don’t give our all, possibly afraid or in some doubt that such an abundance of awesome joy and LOVE and graciousness could really be true.
But it truly is friends, and until we truly surrender our all and truly receive all that the Lord has to offer, we will never really be satisfied and fulfilled.
Now listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the people of Lystra, after he had healed a crippled man, and the people mistook him for a god and wanted to offer him sacrifices. In telling them about the One and Only True God, he ended thus: ‘Who in times past (past generations) suffered (allowed) all nations to walk in their own ways.
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.’ (Acts 14:16-17) No lie that friends!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘14:17. Even though all men have not received the special revelation of God’s written word, all have received God’s general revelation which is witnessed through the creation and man’s own nature, making man without excuse if he rejects this (Rom.1:18-20: 2:14-15) Romans 1 states that the context of general revelation is that God is holy and all- powerful. Acts 14:17 further states that God is good.’
And that we cannot deny my believing brethren! So having all this joy, assurance and gladness in our hearts, let’s go home boldly and sincerely declaring our Wednesday Wail.
As one voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back.
I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Keep on keeping on my people! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing better…wiser…more joyful…or more fulfilling…than trusting in Jesus Christ…
12 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appropriate, beauty, bring an offering, challenges, common sense, dark mountains, darkness, Dear god, disobedience, financial situation, funeral, give glory unto God, glory hallelujah, God is good, God's mysterious workings, grief, halfway home, hands on the plough, hardheaded, honour, I am thanking You right now, idols, in the Lord's hands, judge the people righteously, look for light, majestic ending, majesty, not turning back, pain, praise God, quandary, receive rewards, salvation, see results, sense of purpose, strength, stubborn, sunny spring day, the ability, the breath of life, the children are asleep, the glorious future with Jesus, the good news, the heathen, the journey gets easier, the Lord is great, the Lord reigns, the opportunity to do better, the shadow of death, the Way, ticker, Top o' the morn, truth, trying times, unfortunate news, Wernesday Wail, wisdom, worship the Lord, you haven't given up on me, your feet stumble
Jeremiah 13:16. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Aye friends, top o’ the morn! Now yesterday’s cloudy beginning turned into a beautiful sunny spring day, let’s hope that today’s cloudy start will also turn into a majestic ending.
But yuh know I’m beginning to dread opening my e-mail on a morning, because I’m been bombarded with too much unfortunate news.
Yesterday I opened it and heard about my friend Jackie’s death. Today I open the e-mail and find out that she’s to be buried tomorrow at 11 a.m. exactly when I have an appointment with my heart doctor. Chuh!
And this is not just an ordinary, routine appointment, but one to do some technical stuff to see if my heart has improved over the last few months. So you can imagine the quandary that I’m in; I don’t want to miss Jackie’s funeral, but I do want to know what’s happening with my ole ticker.
Anyway, I’ll just leave it all in the Lord’s hands and see how He works it out. But this morning we’re going to pray a prayer that I discovered on one of my office walls last night while looking for something else.
And I have to laugh at the Lord’s mysterious workings, because this is a prayer that I ought to see every time I enter the office and go to sit behind the desk. But I obviously don’t.
Ah Lord eh! I believe I’ve shared it with you a long time ago, but is it ever so appropriate for these trying times in which we’re currently living!
So please pray with me: ‘Dear God: I want to thank you for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking You right now! I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking You right now!
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking You right now! I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am thanking You right now!
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank You right now! I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet; I am going to thank You right now!
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank You right now! I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am going to thank You right now!
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed. I am thanking You right now! I am thanking You because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better. I am thanking You because Father, You haven’t given up on me! Amen!’
Yes friends, what a beautiful prayer! Our God is just so good! And the important and amazing thing is that He’s so good, ALL THE TIME! Oh Praise His Holy Name my people!
And if we’d give our wonderful God thanks and praise more often than we do, our lives would be so much better, but we’re just stubborn and hardheaded, and just seem to make our lives harder than necessary.
And I like how this prayer just fits nicely with our Bit. ‘Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’
Now our God doesn’t want to cause darkness in our lives, but if we’re continually disobedient, we leave Him no choice. It’s just like us with our children; we don’t like to punish them, but constant disobedience does call for some harsh consequences.
Hear how the psalmist puts in Psalm 96 – A call to praise God. ‘Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation (proclaim the good news of his salvation) from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (nations), his wonders among all the people.
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due his name: bring an offering and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth. Say among the heathen (nations) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:2-10)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the majesty and magnificence, the power and glory of our great God! Please, let’s give him the reverence and honour that are His rightful due nuh. It’s only common sense and wisdom to do so.
Now let’s go home with our hearts filled with joy and reverence, praise and thanksgiving, as we declare our Wednesday Wail in unison and a strong sense of purpose.
‘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!’
Oh friends, let’s keep looking forward to that glorious future with Jesus nuh, for He is indeed the TRUTH, the LIGHT and the WAY! Much LOVE!
…in the LIGHT of Jesus…true believers overcome darkness…
13 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a hard row to hoe, alive and kicking, be not afraid, belief, blessings, Christian living, confess me before men, darkness, deny me bfore men, do what's right, doing Jesus' will, faith, fellowshipping, follow me, fooling ourselves, friends, glory hallelujah, God is good, God's goodness, gospel truth, harsh, have life abundantly, heaven on earth, hell on earth, I am halfway home, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, if any man will come after me, kill the soul, laborious, let him deny himself, light, LOVE, loving kindness, many mansions in heaven, maturing in Christ, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, never to leave or forsake us, praying, put Jesus first, put up, reading the Bible, reprisals, sense of purpose, shut up, sincerity, spring-like weather, spunk, standing strong and steadfast, take up his cross daily, the breath of life, weather fluctuations, Wednesday Wail, with the Lord's help
Luke 9:23. And he said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Well, well my people, it’s another bright, sunshiny day in the life! Let’s hope it’s at least a tad warmer than yesterday, as we hopefully move into true spring-like weather by the weekend. And all God’s people in the northern climes declared a loud ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
Yeh friends, the crazy weather fluctuations do begin to get frustrating after a while. However, the good news is that it’s Wednesday, and therefore we are bold to confess and declare our Wednesday Wail. So as one good wailer, let’s wail nuh mih breddren, with sincerity and a true sense of purpose.
‘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!’
Oh friends, that was beautiful! I could hear the sincerity in our delivery. And why shouldn’t there be sincerity eh? We’re alive and kicking, doing our best to be Christ-like and mature more and more in our Christian walk of faith each day.
We know what Jesus has promised and what He’s already done for us, therefore we are standing strong and steadfast in His Word, doing His will and looking forward to the wonderful future He has planned for us, not only in the many mansions in heaven, but also down here on earth.
And yes my people, as Bruh David said, he don’t know what he would have done, had he not expected to see God’s goodness and LOVING-kindness down here. And Jesus also declared that He had come that we might have life, and have it abundantly.
So earthly living, though it can often be rough, is not meant to be a hell on earth, but more a heaven on earth! Therefore let’s get our minds focused on God’s goodness down here nuh, not simply on the rough spells we sometimes must go through.
Remember, life might not be fair, but God is GOOD my people, and if we live sincerely for Him, He will pour our His blessings on us.
And in light of all of that, it is imperative that we do as our Bit dictates. ‘And he said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’
Oh precious people, I know that sounds somewhat harsh and laborious, but it really isn’t, because the essence of taking up one’s cross daily and following Jesus is simply living in His will; trying to do what’s right, reading the Bible, praying, fellowshipping, maturing, treating others as we want them to treat us. It’s just the everyday things of Christian living and discipleship.
Now, no one says it’s easy, but with God’s help it is doable, and yuh better believe, it’s always interesting. So please, let’s not allow the idea of taking up our cross daily, yes daily, turn us off. The important thing is to put Jesus FIRST in ALL that we do and say. For as He said yesterday, whoever puts anything or anybody before Him, is not worthy of Him. (Matt.10:36-39)
And today, He is telling the disciples to not be afraid of what man can do to them, because our heavenly father has us covered, so much so that even the hairs on our head are numbered. Sorry for those of you who have no hair. (smile)
So with truth, sincerity and power, Jesus declares: ‘Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered (veiled), that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the air, that preach ye upon the housetops.
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell…
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:26-28; 32-33)
Ah mih people, it couldn’t be any clearer than that nuh. Don’t be afraid! Jesus said that numerous times to the disciples, and He’s still saying it to us today. But unfortunately we don’t seem to have the faith and belief and spunk that the disciples eventually gained, because we are not standing up as strong as we ought to for Jesus.
We are allowing the evil and ungodly world to just dismantle all that our Christian forefathers spent their lives building without a serious fight. We need to put up friends, or simply shut up!
And we’ll close with some interesting explanations from the scholars. ’10:32-37. Confess me means “Acknowledge that you belong to Me.” In reality, secret discipleship is a practical impossibility. Jesus constantly called for an open confession of Himself by His followers.
That our confession is to be before men clearly indicates that a public confession of true Christian faith is a virtual necessity. The warning whosoever shall deny me is a comprehensive historical aorist (no limitation) tense, referring not to one moment of denial (such as Peter’s), but to an entire lifelong resistance to Christ.
Therefore, a single act of denial does not make one unworthy of being a disciple, but a refusal to confess Christ at all, eliminates one from being a true follower of Jesus Christ.’
There we have it friends, in black and white! We cannot continually deny Jesus and expect to be His disciple. We must acknowledge Him without fear of reprisals. For He has promised to never leave nor forsake us, and to be a true believer, we must accept Him and His words as gospel truth. Otherwise, we’re just fooling ourselves, and that’s a real sad thing to do. Much LOVE!
…walking sincerely with Jesus is often a hard row to hoe…but hoe it we must…and with the Lord’s help…hoe it we will…
P.S. Late though it be, it’s value is still priceless. (smile) Much LOVE!
16 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive, another level, as I have loved you, assurance, atonement, attribute, bountiful, Cain, change, characteristics, children of God, earn another's love, endurance, events, faith, fellowship, friends, Glory be, glory hallelujah, God is good, God's great world, gospel truth, hope, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, indisputable truth, Jacques Maritain, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, LOVE one another, LOVE Revolution, perfection, persecution, Prayer of the Beloved, problems, propitiation, room for love, share His love with the world, steal our joy, strengthens, the essence of the situation, this is my commandment, this is the day the Lord has made, trust, Tuesday Mantra, unqualified love, values to our lives, walking with Jesus, we don't love qualities, we love persons, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
John 15:12. This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.
Well mih people, it’s another bright and bountiful day in God’s great world! Glory Hallelujah!
Oh I know that many of us are facing all kinds of persecution and problems and it might not seem like a bright or bountiful day, but the essence of the situation is that we’re alive, and thus have the HOPE and assurance that things can and will change, once we keep on walking steadfastly with Jesus!
Therefore, let’s all loudly and proudly declare, like the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, regardless of what the day holds, let us endeavor to rejoice and be glad in it. Let us not allow the enemy to steal our joy by filling our heads with nonsense. Life might be rough, but remember that our God is good! Glory be!
And since today is Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra or Prayer of the Beloved, right off the top to get us set on firm footing. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Yes my people, we are not defined by any of the world’s standards; our true definition is simply, children of God, and thus LOVED by Him. Nothing else really matters.
All we need to do is trust Jesus, our Friend, Saviour, Lord, Brother, Master, etc. etc. and share His overwhelming LOVE with the world, as He so simply but eloquently declares in our Bit. ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you.’
Ah friends, it’s such a simple but profound statement! One which we are not following as strongly and steadfastly as we should, thus we are not getting the results that we ought to get, so that we can further the LOVE Revolution of Jesus.
Jesus is all about LOVE yuh know! It’s His greatest attribute; an attribute that encompasses everything else, and if we truly have it, we will be in the best place that we can be.
And today I want to share a passage from my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness. The quote is from one Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), a French Catholic philosopher of much renown, who was apparently raised a Protestant, then became an agnostic before converting to Catholicism.
He reputedly said: ‘We don’t LOVE qualities, we LOVE persons…’
And that’s how it ought to be. But instead we tend to qualify our LOVE for others by their behaviour, events or other actions and things. That’s not right my brethren. Our God LOVES us just for who we are, not because of anything we do or say.
And the devotional goes on to say: ‘No matter what happens to us in our lifetime, regardless of whether we are rich or poor, strong or weak, ill or well, we ALWAYS HAVE ROOM FOR LOVE. Unqualified LOVE and caring cost nothing. Despite out financial position, allowing ourselves to LOVE, allowing ourselves to be LOVED strengthens and lends greater value to our lives.’
And that my fellow believers in Christ is indisputable truth! When LOVE becomes the most important factor in our lives, we are raised up to another level, a level to which only LOVE can bring us.
Now listen closely to this next part of the devotional, which corroborates what I’ve said above. ‘In LOVING others and being LOVED, we are reminded that people, not events or even characteristics, are the important elements of our lives.
We don’t look for perfection in our LOVED ones, and we’re freed of the notion that we must earn another’s LOVE. LOVE balances our lives; it helps us to keep sight of our values and priorities.’
And that’s all gospel truth my brethren! The Lord would certainly not LOVE us if He was looking for perfection, because we are not perfect. So why do we try to put others in certain situations or force certain characteristics and traits in them before we LOVE them eh?
Please, let’s stop doing that and just LOVE others for who or whom they are nuh; creations of God. That’s the only way to truly LOVE!
And as John so wisely reminds us in his first epistle: ‘For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that ye should LOVE one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew (murdered) his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.’ (1 John 3:11-12)
Oh friends, ofttimes that’s why we don’t LOVE people; because our deeds or intentions are evil and theirs are not. But hear these poignant and ever so true words from the end of the Valentine’s Day writing in our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
‘LOVE knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.’
Glory Hallelujah my people! Yes, LOVE will always be left standing when everything else fails! Let’s truly believe that and work it into all aspects of our lives nuh.
And we’ll end this series of messages on LOVE with the timely words of John. ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:10-11)
That’s the wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…I will remember today…that I LOVE people for themselves…not for their potential…the LOVE I receive…is given just as freely… (From the One More Day Devotional).
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