18 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big family of children, a long way from resembling the Lord, a state of transformation, babes in Christ, beholding as in a glass, being confident of this very thing, but then face to face, by the Spirit of the Lord, caring, carnal, catch our second wind, changed into the same image, come face to face with Christ, dissesnsions, divisions, endure right to the end, envying, eternally separated from God, faith, fed you with milk not meat, forgiving, from glory to glory, get with the programme, giving, glad to be alive, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, he did predestinate, he which hath begun a good work in you, holy spirit, I put away childish things, I spake as a child, I thought as a child, I understood as a child, Jesus Christ, leave us in the lurch, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back, now I know in part, now we see through a glass darkly, One Year Book of Bible promises, put away childish things, reflecting the glory of God, Resemblance, rfts in the church, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, sharing, strife, thank God, the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the firstborn among many brethren, the glory of God, the worst thing that can happen to a human soul, then shall I know even as also I am known, times of uncertainty, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to resemble each other, truth, two people love deeply, wake up, walks as men, we all with open face, we always have Jesus by our side, Wednesday Wail, when I became a man, when I was a child, whom he did foreknow, will perform it until the day of Jesus, wisdom, ye are yet carnal, you were not able to bear it
Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
It’s Wednesday friends, the middle day of our work week, when we’re supposed to catch our second wind and finish strong on Friday for Jesus! And it’s a beautiful summer’s day in my neighbourhood, with temps in the mid-twenties, and possibly going higher as the day progresses, although they are calling for some afternoon rain. But however it plays out, let’s remember that we always have Jesus by our side, and His Holy Spirit within us to help us with whatever comes against us!
And in keeping with that thought that Jesus is always with us, let’s consider this interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled ‘Resemblance.’ Don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but it’s still worthwhile sharing, especially in these times of fear and uncertainty.
So please read with me. ‘Lord, somewhere I read That when two people LOVE deeply When they live together Sharing Caring Giving Forgiving Eventually they begin to resemble each other. Lord, how long will it be Before I look like You?’ Now isn’t that an interesting question? It certainly is. And there’s proof to show that when two people live together for a long time in good circumstances they do begin to resemble each other. So the assumption here is that as believers in God, we live with Him for a long time, and thus at some stage we will become like Him.
And yuh better believe that’s been the Lord’s plan from day one; that we will all become like Jesus, as our Bible Promise for the poem reflects the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘But we all with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
Now what does all of that mean eh? The scholars explain. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord. For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’
In other words we are gradually changed to become like Jesus. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) Yes friends, those the Lord predestined to believe in His Son, were to be changed into His image, so that there would be a big family of like children, with Jesus being the firstborn. And the Lord has been working steadily on it. Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians? ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begin a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6)
Ah mih people, once the Lord begins His transforming work on us, He will not stop until Jesus returns, or He takes us home; whichever one comes first. (smile) And I guess you can compare our transformation to what Bruh Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass (mirror) darkly (dimly); but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.’ (1 Cor. 13:11-12)
Now that brings a sense of how we ought to behave as believers. In the early days we would know a little like children do, and behave like them., merely seeing like shadows of the real thing. However, as we grow in spiritual maturity, we need to put away the childish things, know more of the Word and put it into greater action, and eventually we shall know it all when we come face to face with Christ.
We ought not to be like Bruh Paul told the Corinthians earlier on. ‘And I brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal, (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man and not to God).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And sadly, that can be said about too many of us supposed Christians. We’re still involved in the many evil and ungodly ways of the world, with envying, strife, dissensions and disunity causing many rifts in the church of Christ, which ought to be One body, not the many bodies it is today. So, unfortunately, because of our carnality, too many of us are still a long way away from resembling the Lord, as our poem enquired. Now, that’s not a very good thing, because our carnality can leave us in the lurch, far away from God, even eternally separated from Him. And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human soul.
So, let’s wake up and get with programme nuh man. We’re playing with our eternal destiny, the most important aspect of our lives, and it’s not wise to do that. And, for those of us who’re indeed trying to do better, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ.
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 for those who endure with Jesus right down to the very end, it’s been promised that they will enjoy a future even more glorious than their minds can imagine. Therefore, I hope and pray that we will all endure to the very end, and enjoy that more than glorious future with Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you can’t be a true believer in Christ…unless you’re in a state of transformation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mass reproduction of Christ, a season of inexplicable stuff, after that ye have suffered a while, all that is now so mysterious, all things work together for good, be the first born among many brethren, beholding as in a glass the glory of God, by Christ Jesus, by the Spirit of the Lord, called according to His purpose, called us into his eternal glory, changed from glory to glory, changed into the same image, christianity, Christians, clinging to you hopefully, confidently, conformed to the image of his Son, cry out for help, despite the drain and strain, determined to wait to trust, faith, faith means believing in what you cannot see, fresh depths of insight, from glory to glory, get a bit much to bear, grace grows best in winter, grin and bear it, grow in spiritual maturity, he also did predestinate, holy spirit, hurry, I anticipate new perspectives, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, judge not that ye might not be judged, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make you perfect, mercy, no easy steps in conforming, O God ...My God, One Year Book of Bible promises, pet peeves, process of transformation, puny understanding, rely on your faithfulness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, Samuel Rutherford, saturated with the lustful and carnal things of the world, share His love with my neighbours, sit outside in shirt sleeves, some sense of understanding, spiritual maturity, teaching me, the abiding presence of God, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the conflicting things, the face of Moses reflected the glory of God, the God of all grace, the great truth, the Lord's intention, the whole wide world, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to conform his people, to the image of His son, to them that love God, totally hidden, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unveiled face, whom he did foreknow, wisdom, with open face, worry
Romans 8:29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.
And then it was Tuesday, before which we had a lovely Monday, with temps in the twenties, and in the evening I got to sit on my porch in my shirt sleeves, enjoy a cool summer breeze and watch the people go by. Unfortunately though, I saw several dogs being walked, but no children. And you know that’s one of my pet peeves. The society seems more interested in dogs, rather than children. But who am I to judge them eh? Jesus said ‘judge not, that ye be not judged,’ (Mat. 7:1) and I’m trying, but sometimes it’s difficult to overlook certain things.
Anyway, today seems like it’s going to be another beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it without any more unnecessary contention, we already have enough in our world. Instead, let’s focus on an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And this one is emphatically titled ‘O God … My God.’ And if you don’t need it, then I’m glad for you, because I certainly need it. as I’m going through a season of inexplicable stuff that I can’t make heads or tails of, but as we are led to believe, there is a reason for it all. I just can’t figure it out with my puny understanding. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘O God…My God Though You now seem totally hidden I am clinging to You hopefully Even confidently. Someday, some way, You will make All You are now permitting Blessedly clear. With fixed purpose, dear God I am determined to wait, to trust To rely upon Your faithfulness. Despite the drain and strain I anticipate new perspectives And fresh depths of insight Into all that is now so mysterious. O God, in ways unanticipated You are teaching me the great truth Of Samuel Rutherford’s words: ‘I see that grace grows best in the winter.’ Thank You, dear God Thank You for that!’
Ah mih friends, it’s definitely not easy when the Lord puts you through your paces without any reasoning or understanding…and in the real winter time too, which makes it even harder. But you just have to grin and bear it, and as the poem says, wait, trust, and rely on his faithfulness. And I’m certainly doing that, but sometimes the conflicting things get a bit much to bear, and all you can do is cry out for help and some sense of understanding, though ofttimes you won’t get an answer, but you are still expected to hang in there and trust in His timing and faithfulness. I guess it’s one of the ways in which we grow in spiritual maturity.
And of course, the promise for today’s poem comes from Peter’s tough but wise statement. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) I guess that explains it all. The Lord is simply doing His intended work by bringing us into line with His wonderful Son, as Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29)
And believe me, there are no easy steps in that task, especially when we’re saturated with all the lustful and carnal things and thoughts of the world. And this commentary explains it quite clearly and succinctly. ‘The Lord’s intention is to conform His people to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, making them His sons and brothers, as stated in Romans 8:29.
This process of transformation, known as being “conformed to the image of His Son,” involves a spiritual growth where believers’ lives reflect Christ’s character and LOVE. God’s redemptive plan includes choosing, calling, and glorifying those He foreknew and predestined. In other words, God’s desire, His intention, was to have many sons who are just like Christ. He wanted a mass-reproduction of Christ in humanity.’
But sadly, He doesn’t seem to be getting that right now, with all the turning away and questioning of His existence and sovereignty. However, as Bruh Paul says to the Corinthians. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord (vs.13). For Moses the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of God.’
Oh my fellow believers, having read that, the question we must now ask is whether the glory of God is being truly reflected in our faces? Obviously our faces won’t shine as brightly as Moses did when he came down from Mt. Sinai bearing the two tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Being in God’s presence caused the radiant light to reflect on his face. This bright countenance caused fear in Aaron and the Israelites, who initially didn’t recognize Moses because of the light, and he had to wear a veil to speak to them. (Ex. 34:29-35)
We won’t need a veil, but surely the unbeliever will see the glory of God shining in our faces, if we are a true reflection of Jesus Christ. And I do hope we’ll all hunker down and bear whatever inexplicable things that come against us, knowing as Bruh Paul so confidently proclaims: ‘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) Remember faith means believing in what you cannot see.
And with that in mind, let’s faithfully declare (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And that means we’re now expected to 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!
…being changed from glory to glory…is never an easy transformation…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, a welcome sight, above all nations of the earth, all these blessings shall come on thee, an obedient heart, at the name of Jesus, attempt to remove God from our society, be obedient to God's commands, became obedient unto death, behaviour that's respectful of rules and laws, Bible, blessings, bright sunshine, burdensome, by the things he suffered, Christ is the best example of obedience, christianity, compliance with an order, deepen my breath, do all God's commandments, eternal death, eternal life, even the death of the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, faith, fear of punishment, formed out of habit, found in fashion as a man, gain greater intimacy with God, God hath highly exalted him, grow in spiritual maturity, his commandments are not grievous, holy spirit, humbled himself, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, it's all for our benefit, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, learned obedience, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, living for Christ is about obedience, Lord I want to be with you now, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, man spoils and destroys everything he touches, man's negative touch, mercy, obedience for blessings, obedience is the key to unlocking God's promises, obedience unto righteousness, obey god rather than men, peace of god, quiet my soul, reflecting off beautiful snow, relax my muscles, repented, responsibility of duty, rewards for obedience, sacrifice more, salvation, sinful and prideful nature, slow my thoughts, snow is beautiful untouched by humans, submission to authority, suffered terrible misfortune, take umbrage, thank you for this tenderness, the awesome power of sincere prayer, the Israelites veered from the commandments, the Lord will set thee on high, the Ten Commandments, this is the love of God, though he were a Son, to our own detriment, to the glory of God the Father, transactional obedience, truth, turned back to God, we keep His commandments, wisdom, yet learned he obedience, you can't be contained, your peace and love are present
1 John 5:3. For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).
Well friends, it’s a sunshiny, chilly, windy and white lazy-day Saturday! The snow’s not an awful lot, but enough to make life difficult if you choose to venture out. So, it’s as good a time as any to stay home…unless you really have to go out. Stay home, look out your window, and admire the bright sunshine reflecting off of the beautiful snow. And snow is definitely beautiful… that’s before it comes into contact with man. But that’s no surprise, since man spoils and destroys everything he touches.
Anyway, enough with man’s negative touch, let’s get positive and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if we’re sincere in our prayer, then the peace and calmness of God soon begins filling our hearts, minds, bodies and souls. That’s the awesome power of sincere prayer! And hopefully, in this new year of 2025, we will all rise to a new level of sincerity in our prayer, since we’ve made it our New Year’s resolution to grow in spiritual maturity and gain a greater intimacy with our most wonderful God! And it all begins with sincerity of prayer and a faithful, willing and obedient heart.
Yes friends, living for Christ is all about obedience! And what’s obedience eh? It’s basically compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority. Or, as another definition puts it: ‘Obedience is behavior that’s respectful and mindful of rules and laws.’ And that’s it; obedience is doing the appropriate thing in the appropriate manner, at the appropriate time. (smile)
And according to one commentary, there are four basic kinds of obedience: ‘Obedience done out of fear of punishment. Learned obedience, formed out of habit taught by parents or society. Transactional obedience for the blessings, benefits, and rewards. Obedience performed as a responsibility of duty, obligation, and faith.’ And I guess our obedience to God can be a combination of the last three, because we are taught it by our parents, we do it to receive rewards and blessings, and it’s a responsibility of our faith.
But enough with definitions, let’s see what the Lord’s Word says about obedience. And brother, there are indeed so many scriptures that speak about the subject, that we can only consider a few. However, let’s first note this important point; obedience is the key to unlocking the promises of God. Let’s never forget that! Unless we are obedient to God’s will, we will never unlock the promises and blessings He has in store for us.
And it all begins very early on, as the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised land, with Moses informing them thus: ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut. 28:1-2)
Oh my people, it could not be any clearer than that! And Moses goes on to list blessings from verse 3 to verse 14. However, he listed curses and misfortunes for disobedience from verse 15 to verse 68. Now that surely tells us how important obedience is in the Lord’s sight. And the basic commandments were given to them at the foot of Mt. Sinai when Moses came down with the two tablets of stone written on by the Lord, containing what we call The Ten Commandments, which we can find in Exodus 20:1-17.
And if you look at them, they are not really hard to obey, as John tells us in his first epistle: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome).’ (1 John 5:3) But with our sinful and prideful nature, we take umbrage at obeying some of them. But that’s only to our own detriment. And if our society were to follow those same Ten Commandments today, it would be such a wonderful place.
And please note that every time the Israelites veered from those commandments, they suffered terrible misfortune; wars, captivity, plagues, etc. etc. And when they came to their senses, repented and turned back to God, He blessed them again. This is just to say, that maybe, if we repent and turn back to God, He will bless us, and our world would not be as strife and disaster filled as it is. For there is absolutely no doubt that we have turned away from God, so far away, that we are attempting to totally remove Him for our society. Which anyone of faith knows is impossible!
And Jesus also said it loud and clear to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) It’s as simple as that! And it’s obvious by our lack of obedience that we don’t LOVE Him! Meanwhile, Bruh Paul admonishes us in Romans 6, when he writes: ‘Know ye not, that to whom ye yield (present) yourselves servants to obey, his servants (slaves) ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.’ (Rom. 6:16) Yes, we’re either slaves to Satan which leads to eternal death, or obedient to the Lord, which leads to eternal life.
And remember when Peter and the other apostles were imprisoned and beaten by the Jewish leaders and severely warned to stop preaching Christ crucified, what was their answer? ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29) Now that would be such a welcome sight in this society, if more of us would begin obeying God more than men.
And there’s no better example of obedience that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Listen to Bruh Paul as he writes to the Philippians. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of all his privileges):
And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Oh my fellow saints, Christ was the very example of obedience! Do you think He really wanted to go to the cross and experience that terrible ‘sufferation’ for our abominable sins? No! But because the Father desired it, He became obedient and did it. And yuh see the rewards He received for that obedience? A name higher than any other name, at which every knee must someday bow! In light of all that, why can’t we sacrifice a little more and be obedient to God’s commands eh? Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not His! Much LOVE!
…though he were a son…yet learned he obedience…by the things he suffered… (Heb. 5:8)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a good attirude, a physical sign, a real crisis, a strong will, a successful Christian life, abundance, all who walk with God face conflicts, answer your letter, anticipate as you wait, Bible, bounden duty, cast thy burden upon the Lord, children of God, christianity, clear direction for my life, common task, conflicts, courage, creativity, curse, daily grind, faith, favour, fear not, Gideon, glorify God's name, God is never too late, God is not a God of confusion, God loves His people, God never contradicts himself, God sends only silence, God wants to buttress us, God will never disappoint our hope, God will work everything out for good, God's agenda is the truth, God's faithfulness, God's highest intention, God's infallible word, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grow in spiritual maturity, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, he will not fail thee, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, holy spirit, hope in a promise, I asked for a sign, incorrigibly hopeful, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, joy, know His will, lo I am with you always, LOVE, mercy, negative word, neither be dismayed, no sudden hailstorm, not baby us, on our own two feet, One Year Book of Bible promises, our only evidence, permit the righteous to be shaken, presumptuous, provides wise advice through the Bible, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek signs, self-control, sincerely believe in God, stand strong, step out to do God's work, still waiting, talent, thanksgiving, the dry fleece, the festivities are over, the hope that He himself implants, the Lord doth go before thee, the promises in God's word, the wet fleece, Thursday Blessings, to free us from unnecessary props, train us to trust His word, trials, tribulations, trust and faithfulness in God's promises, truth, urgent decisions, wisdom, writing in the sky, you can't see ahead, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
And then it was Thursday; the second day of this new year of 2025! Can you believe it? All the festivities, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, are now over and we, unfortunately have to go back to the daily grind and common task. It’s back to work and the slogging it entails, especially when we got a bit of snow this morning, which makes driving and walking even more hazardous than normal.
But we are God’s children and are expected to endure whatever trials and tribulations come our way, with a good attitude, still filled with joy and thanksgiving, knowing that our wonderful God has promised to work everything out for our good eventually. (Rom. 8:28) And if there’s one thing we’re sure of is God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. So let’s get out and do what we have to do to glorify His great name! End of Sermon! (smile)
And today I want to share an interesting and a most appropriate writing for these turbulent and uncertain times, from Our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled: ‘I Asked for a Sign.’ Don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but if I have, it’s very worthwhile sharing again. (smile) So please read with me.
‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous. Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know!
You don’t stand alone! All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions. God is not a God of confusion. We can know His will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.” He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants to train us to trust His Word, not the wool!
When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead. However, you can still be incorrigibly (not given to change) hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never too late. Remember: Not the wool but His word.’
And will it ever do us much good if we remember that for this new year. It’s not about signs and wonders, but about trust and faithfulness in God’s promises found in His inalienable (cannot be altered), infallible (flawless) Word! And yes, many of us seek signs before we step out to do God’s work, and sometimes we might be blessed enough to get them, as when we’re young believers, but as the writing says, the Lord wants us to stand strong, on our own two feet, as it were, not always desiring ‘props’ from Him.
Once we know that He is faithful and will not let us go astray, we can stand strong and step out in faith. Obviously, we must seek His advice on the matter, but we don’t always have to be like Gideon and need a physical sign. No. We read His Word and the Holy Spirit will speak to us His indomitable but calm and quiet manner…if we’re listening.
And there are two statements in the writing that I think bear reiterating. The first is that we don’t stand alone! No! Never! For our omnipresent God is always by our side. He promised that way back in time to the Israelites, when Moses assured them: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut. 31:8)
Jesus also assured us of His faithfulness when He promised the disciples: ‘… and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) And so did the author of Hebrews, when speaking of the Lord as our helper. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5) So there you have it; God is always with us.
And the second statement I want us to consider is that God is not a God of confusion. Certainly not! He has every move planned out down to the last minute, to the last detail. And Bruh Paul states it loud and clear when talking about the Author of Peace to the Corinthians. ‘For God is not the author of confusion (disorder), but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.’ (1 Cor. 14:33)
And what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘God never contradicts himself. He never has to go back and apologize because he “misspoke.” His agenda is the truth, pure and simple. He LOVES his people and provides wise advice through his written word, the Bible.’
Yes friends, it’s in the Bible, the Lord’s Word, our Guidebook for Earthly Living, that we will find the basics of all we need to know. That’s where we truly get to know Him, and we will never know Him unless and until we dig deep into it and meditate constantly on what it says.
And before we forget, (smile) the Bible promise for today’s reading comes from Psalm 55; these most encouraging words of Bruh David: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). (Ps. 55:22) Now that’s another important promise that we need to take to heart if we’re to grow in spiritual maturity and intimacy with God in this new year.
And the great thing about our God is that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work; for instance what we call our undeserved Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one 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 said all of that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use those undeserved blessings to help others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to live a successful Christian life…one must sincerely believe in God…and the promises in His Word…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-fearing attitude, a modicum of peace and joy, actively seek out peace, as much as lieth in you, avoid temptation, be of good cheer, Bible, Blessed are the peacemakers, choose good over evil, choose peace over sin, Christ wants us to be characterized by peace, christianity, depart from evil and do good, disaster-filled world, divine pardon, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fall short of the grace of God, follow after things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, glad to be alive, greater intimacy with God, grow in spiritual maturity, halfway home, hands on the plough, hang all the law and prophets, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, I will repay, improve our faith walk, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus Christ, Jesus has defeated Satan, lest any man fail, let not your heart be troubled, live peaceably with all men, looking diligently, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, mercy, negative things, neither let it be afraid, New Year's resolution, not as the world giveth, not turning baack, on these two commandments, Peace i leave with you, peace won't come to you, pray that 2025 will bring, sacrifice, salvation, seek peace and pursue it, strife, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the children of God, the great commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the world is groaning, thereby many be defiled, things to edify another, to a glorious future with Jesus, to chase after with intensity, tribulation, truth, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, without which no man shall see the Lord, work
Matthew 5:9. Blessed (happy) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And a Happy New Year to all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bits land! Let’s hope that this new year has met you in good shape, physically, mentally and emotionally, and if it hasn’t, then it will improve things as quickly as possible. And we sincerely pray that this new year of 2025 will bring a modicum of peace and joy to our strife and disaster-filled world, because our poor world is desperately groaning with all the negative things that’s happening to it.
And now is the right time for us to remember that peace doesn’t come of its own accord, but we have to seek it. As Bruh David says in Psalm 34: ‘Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Ps. 34:14) Yes friends, we not only have to avoid temptation, to reject it from wherever it comes, while seeking peace and pursuing it. And what does that mean eh?
This commentary explains it as follows: ‘The verse conveys that peace is something that people must actively seek out, and that it is not something that will just happen. The phrase emphasizes the ongoing effort required to maintain peace. The Hebrew word radaf used in the verse means to chase or follow after with intensity. The verse also conveys that choosing good over evil, and peace over sin, is part of honoring God properly. It also suggests that making peace manifests a God-fearing attitude.’
And that’s exactly what we supposed followers of and believers in Christ Jesus need to do in a much greater fashion this new year! We most definitely need to raise our level of discipleship, with all diligence and efficiency, if we ever hope to make any worthwhile difference in this evil world. Remember the Bible tells us in several places that we have to diligently go after the peace, for it won’t come to us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to the Romans: ‘Let us therefore follow after things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom. 14:19)
And Before that he admonished them thus: ‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:18-19) Oh my fellow believers there couldn’t be any stronger admonishment for going out of our way to live in peace!
And the author of Hebrews also had something to say on the subject of peace. ‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb. 12:14-15) Now those are indeed strong sentiments my brethren, but we need to take them to heart, for if we don’t, we’re liable to fall short of God’s grace and take many others with us. And we certainly don’t want to do that.
And if you don’t believe what those writers said, then check out these words of our Lord and Saviour nuh. And we’ll begin with begin with this commentary that asks: ‘What was Jesus main message about peace?’ And answers: ‘One of the central themes of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s expectation that His followers be characterized by peace—not violence or war. In the famous opening to this great sermon known as the Beatitudes, Jesus taught, “Blessed [happy] are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children (sons) of God” (Matthew 5:9).”
Yes friends, we cannot be true disciples of Christ until, and unless we are characterized by peace! And this other commentary takes it a little further: ‘Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). We are to try for peace. Peace can be experienced only when we have received divine pardon – when we have been reconciled to God and when we have harmony within, with our fellow man and especially with God.’
And that’s the gospel truth! We can’t have peace until we have harmony with ourselves, with others and most of all with God. It’s as the two great commandments say: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40)
Oh my people, Jesus is all about peace and LOVE, but unfortunately, those are currently the least two attributes to be found in our topsy-turvy world. But we can turn it around this new year, provided we’re so inclined. However, it will take lots of work and sacrifice, with us totally increasing our salty flavour and the intensity of our light, while keeping these most encouraging words of Jesus on peace, front and centre in our minds.
The first statement says: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Then there’s this other encouraging statement on peace. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if we believe truly believe that Jesus has overcome the world, defeated Satan, hell, death and the grave, then we will truly find peace in Him and His awesome promises. So please, let’s make this a year of peace and joy and LOVE, with our ONE New Year’s Resolution; that being to improve our faith walk with Jesus, thus grow in spiritual maturity and achieve greater intimacy with God! If we do those things, then everything else will fall into place.
Now let’s go home declaring (steupsss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 to the very end with Jesus, then it’s been promised that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So, see you there! Much LOVE!
…if you have the peace of Jesus…then you are truly blessed…because His peace…surpasses all of man’s understanding…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a difficult lesson to learn, a limited salary, a shining challenge, adds growing serenity to our guided lives, advesity, all these things shall be added unto you, babes in Christ, Bible, carnal, celebrate our faith, Christian journey, christianity, diminished the value of friendship, divisions, endure right to the end, envying, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faith in God's loving-kindness, fed you with milk, fighting the good fight of faith, financial loss, full of wonder, get our second wind, God must be our top priority, grow in spiritual maturity, had more to live on, hands on the plough, have as much to live for, human dignity, hurting people, I'm glad to be alive, incorruptible wealth, increasingly aware, Jesus Christ, joy, LOVE, mature, more vital than our fondest possessions, need to be taught again, not turning back, of full age, One Year Book of Bible promises, only in adversity do we grow, overcome tough times by turning to God, peace, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sheer delight, short on finances, solid, solid food, spiritual realities, stable, strife, thak God, the Challenge, the first principles of God's sayings, the real values of our lives remain, to a glorious future with Jesus, to trust and exalt our limitless God, trained to discern both good and evil, trust God come what may, truth, unshifting, unskillful in the word of righteousness, walk as men, Wednesday Wail, what shall we drink, what shall we eat, what we are, who we are in Christ, wisdom, wonderful to be alive, you ought to be teachers
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
And is it ever wonderful to be alive on another new day on God’s glorious earth; one filled with all His new mercies and compassions! Wow! You can’t ever beat that feeling friends, especially when it’s a bright and sunshiny Wednesday in the middle of the work week, where we get our second wind to keep on fighting the good fight of faith! Glory to God!
And by the way, your Wednesday Bit will be somewhat late now, since we’ve started back having a small prayer group meeting on Wednesday mornings. It’s nothing big or spectacular, just discussing a few topics of personal interest, reading some scripture, praying for people in need of divine aid, and having communion. And, to me, sometimes you get more out of the small, personal groups than in the large non-personal gatherings. But that’s neither here nor there, the important thing is that we gather to worship God and celebrate our faith.
However, having said all of that, here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that many of us will find amazingly appropriate to our personal situations. It’s simply titled ‘The Challenge.’ And by the way, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this one before, but if I have, too bad, because they all are worth sharing again and again! (smile)
So please read with me: ‘It may be true, dear God That my husband and I had more to live on A year ago than we have today But it is equally true That we have just as much to live for. The real values of our lives remain Solid, stable, unshifting. Our financial loss has in no way Diminished the value of a single friendship. We have lost nothing of human dignity
And we are discovering spiritual realities Full of wonder and sheer delight. Our faith in Your LOVING-kindness Adds growing serenity to our guided lives. You are making us increasingly aware That what we are is vastly more vital Than our fondest possessions. Above all, you are teaching us That a limited salary is our shining challenge To trust and exalt our limitless God.’
Oh my people, isn’t that the gospel truth! It certainly is! When we lose some of our purchasing power or earthly possessions, that’s the time the Lord usually steps in and tries to teach us the overwhelmingly important lesson that money and material possessions don’t dictate who we are, but instead it’s who we are in Christ Jesus that dictates our importance. And believe me, that’s a difficult lesson to learn, especially when you are short on finances, for then you are worried about how you’re going to pay the rent or the mortgage, buy food, pay the numerous bills we have in this modern society and keep your children properly dressed to go to school.
It is indeed a challenge to handle both that and the need for God at the same time. I can tell you that from personal experience. But it’s all a matter of faith; of making up your mind to trust God come what may. And ofttimes that’s God’s challenge to us, to see if we truly believe, and for us to grow in spiritual maturity, because it’s only in adversity that we really grow. When life’s good, there’s nothing to worry about, and therefore no need to grow. But if we intend to be true believers in Christ, then we do have to grow, we just can’t stay like Bruh Paul told the Corinthians, only drinking milk, because then our faith stays small and weak.
As he writes: ‘And I brethren, could not speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat (solid food): for hitherto (until now) ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (according to man).’ (1 Cor. 3:1-3)
And that’s exactly what’s happening to many supposed believers today; we’re not growing in our faith because we have the things of the world, the fleshly and carnal things too deeply engrained in our consciousness. Yes friends, while on our Christian journey, like babies grow and eat solid food, we too need to reach the stage where we eat solid food, meat and spuds; get deeper into the word, understand it more fully and them live it more explicitly.
It’s like the author of Hebrews also writes on the subject. ‘For when for the time (though by this time) ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles (sayings) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (solid food). For every one that useth (partakes of) milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat (solid food) belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those by reason of use (practice) have their senses exercised (trained) to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:12-14)
That says it all my fellow believers, too many of us are still babies drinking milk, not knowing the word and living it out in practice, that’s why our world is in such an ungodly, evil and disastrous state! But to grow in spiritual awareness means taking risks, and trusting God, especially in the tough times. That’s why our Bible Promise for today’s poem are these encouraging words of faith from Jesus.
‘Therefore take no thought (do not worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:31-33)
Now that’s the crux of the matter right there my brethren! Are we willing to trust God to deliver our needs as He promises, or are we going to continue killing ourselves to acquire the corruptible and stealable wealth of the world. It doesn’t mean not working diligently and excellently, but not letting the things of the world be our priority. As a true believer God must be our top priority, and that’s what He is usually trying to teach us when we undergo challenges. Let’s hope we learn before it’s too late.
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world 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 with Jesus right to the end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, hoping to see you there, so that we can enjoy it together! Much LOVE!
…hurting people overcome tough times…when they turn to God…make Him their Number One Priority…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a concerted effort, a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, ask the Holy Spirit for help, christianity, cloven tongues like as of fire, crying out for God's presence, deepen my breath, faith, give you an heart of flesh, glorify God in your body, god, grow in spiritual maturity, guide you into all truth, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, meditate on the Word, pray, put my spirit within you, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, slow my thoughts, spiritually hungry and thirsty, talking to the Holy spirit, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the Holy spirit leads guides and comforts us, the peaceful and calming presence of God, the Spirit of truth, truth, unites the believer with Christ, walk in the Spirit, wisdom, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, you are bought with a price, your body is the temple of the holy Ghost
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, but many of us cannot afford to laze around on this beautiful summer’s day, because there’s still lots of cleaning up to do and considerations to undertake to prevent this week’s tragedies from happening again. It’s a big task, both for the various levels of government as well the individual homeowners. And who knows if we’ll ever be able to stop God’s hand, but we must do something to reduce the risks. And as always, the first thing to do is pray.
So let’s do just that nuh, as we offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And we know that our prayer has been heard and actioned, because it’s crying out for God’s presence, for a greater awareness of Him in our lives, and those kinds of prayers He answers right away, because it’s what He truly desires of us. So, although your life might be filled with serious concerns, please take some time to enjoy the peaceful and calming presence of God that’s flowing through you at this very moment. And it will not only calm your spirit, but also give you the energy or the resolve to handle your current concerns.
That’s the awesome power of God working in us through His Holy Spirit, who dwells within us to lead, guide, comfort and teach us what the Father desires. As this commentary tells us about the significance of the Holy Spirit in the Bible? ‘The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church. He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin. The Holy Spirit controls the believer who yields to God and submits himself to God’s Word.’
Oh friends, there’s no better system than that in all the world! The only problem is that we have to learn to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit and respond positively to its guidance. And that’s not always easy to do, especially in these turbulent times, with all the noise and the many voices that are competing to get our attention. And the Bible tells us a lot about walking with the Holy Spirit, so let’s see if we can find a few scriptures that will help us in that matter.
But first, listen to this other commentary that gives us an interesting insight into walking with the Holy Spirit. It says: ‘If you want to walk in the Holy Spirit, start with talking to the Holy Spirit. Throughout the day address Him, welcome Him, thank Him and worship Him. You should not feel guilty for not spending time with the Holy Spirit but you should feel thirsty. He wants relationships, not rules.’
And that’s the very basis of our Christian lives…we ought to feel hungry and thirsty for the Lord and His Word! Otherwise there won’t be any impetus for us to truly get involved. It’s just like when our bodies hunger for food, we run to fill them, because we cannot go on living without the nourishment and energy that food provides to our bodies. And it’s the same with our spiritual needs. We cannot function on any decent spiritual level without the impetus of hunger and thirst driving us forward to grow in spiritual maturity.
And the first scripture we’ll look at is this one from Ezekiel, where the Lord long ago promised to cleanse His people. ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.’ (Ezek. 36:26-27) Yes friends, that God’s promise, which was fulfilled after Jesus came to earth and did His thing. After that, all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Then there’s this from John’s Gospel, where after Jesus tells the disciples it would be advantageous for them if He goes away, otherwise the Holy Spirit won’t come, He says: ‘I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself (on his own authority); but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine (what is mine), and shall shew it (declare) it unto you.’ (John 16:12-14)
So the Holy Spirit liaisons between Christ and His followers. And we all know that Jesus, before His ascension told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) And that momentous occasion occurred on the Day of Pentecost when ‘a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they (the fledgling church) were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like a of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and all began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the Spirt gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4)
And that day Peter preached his big sermon and some three thousand souls were saved. Thus began the growth of Christ’s new church. Then there are these solemn words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Yes my brethren, as believers in Christ Jesus, we do not belong to ourselves, but to God, for Christ paid a price to redeem us back to God.
And since the Holy Spirit of God dwells within each believer, then each believers body is a temple or church of God, and therefore we need to keep it holy. And to help us do that, Bruh Paul wrote these words to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.’ (Gal. 5:16-17)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s much easier said than done, because the lusts or desires of our flesh are so numerous and so strong, that it takes a concerted effort to walk in the Spirit. But if we are serious about doing that, then we just have to buckle down, meditate on the Word, pray and ask the Holy Spirt for help! That’s the starting point for all of us! Much LOVE!
…one cannot live a truly Christian life…without the Holy Spirit’s guidance…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
02 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all flesh is grass, all scripture, awesome grace and mercy, blasphemers, boasters, carried about with divers doctrines, Christ is the only true refuge, compliance to your word, covetous, disobedient to parents, false doctrines, for correction, for reproof, forgive us, given by inspiration of God, God has no pleasure in fools, grow in spiritual maturity, heady, heal our land, high-minded, humble servants, I am the Lord thy God, I change not, in the last days, inclement weather, instruction in righteousness, it is a good thing, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus - a steady rock and refuge, Jesus Christ, Jesus is not temperamental, LOVE, lovers of pleasure, lovers of their own sleves, made a vow to God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, not lovers of God, our foundation is built on sinking sand, perilous times shall come, profitable for doctrine, proud, religious strife, repentance, sinned and come short of obedience, the coming apostasy, the flower fades, the grass withers, the heart be established with grace, the same yesterday today and forever, the unchangeability of our God, the word of God shall stand forever, traitors, uncertain like the weather, uncertain times, unholy, unthankful, wet snow, what a crazy world we live in
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
Well friends, we saw the first signs of inclement winter weather yesterday evening. Thankfully though, in my area, it was just some wet snow; the kind that falls and quickly dissipates. But a warning nonetheless of what’s in store in the not too distant future. (smile) But would you believe too, that the weather people are forecasting temperatures in the mid-teens for later this week? What a crazy world we living in eh Dr. Jack!
It’s a good thing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is not as temperamental and uncertain like the weather nowadays, otherwise we would be in even worse shape than we currently are. Thankfully the Good Book describes our Lord and Saviour thus: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) That means we have a steady rock and refuge to look to in times of need.
Our world is constantly changing…and so are we, but not our God. Malachi says it boldly and plainly on His behalf: ‘For I am the Lord thy God, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) Yeh mih people, if our God wasn’t steady and long-suffering, we would have been fish food long time! (smile)
And to cement the unchangeability of our God, and our everchanging hearts, hear the prophet Isaiah as he talks about the voice crying in the wilderness: ‘The voice said, Cry (out). And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth on it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.’ (Is. 40:6-8)
I don’t think we need any more scripture to tell us of our frail and short earthly lives, or the everlasting standard that our God maintains. But because we are so frail and fickle, we tend to fall into all sorts of stuff, moving from one to the next without much rhyme or reason, unsure of what we want or intend to do. In other words, we don’t stick to any one thing for long; because our foundation is built on sinking sand.
That’s why the author of Hebrews, after telling us that Christ is steadfast, continues with this important warning. ‘Be not carried about with divers (various) and strange doctrines (teachings). For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats (food), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.’ (Heb. 8:9) And are there ever a whole host of various, strange and false doctrines that abound in these turbulent times my brethren!
No wonder Bruh Paul could warn Timothy of the coming apostasy (abandonment of the faith). ‘Thus know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And isn’t that the indisputable truth in these last days of the church age. All those things above are rampant in our current society.
And Bruh Paul also adds to the list of ungodliness of our time. ‘Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:4-5) Yes friends, there are a whole lot of false teachers out there, who tout a form of godliness, mere religion, but without power or spiritual life. We definitely don’t want to get mixed up with that kind. We need to stay pure and true to the gospel of Christ.
Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (tell us how to live): That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Yes precious people of God, the Word of God was inspired by His Holy Spirit, meant for mankind to read, study and obey, to help us grow in spiritual maturity, and be useful in whatever situation we find ourselves. We need nothing else but the Word of God in this world to live a godly life! (smile)
So with all the false and evil stuff that’s currently bothering us, let’s go home now taking all of our problems to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And now, please remember that we just made a vow to God change our evil ways and sincerely seek His face, so let’s pay that vow nuh, because God has no pleasure in fools, who don’t pay their vows. Much LOVE!
…in uncertain times…Christ is the only true refuge…
05 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sad tale, aches and pains, action, an apostle of Jesus Christ, Aristotle, brotherly kindness, by their fruits ye shall know them, calling, care, charity, Christian attributes, Christian faith, cleansed from old sins, come out of the woodwork, come to Jesus, compassion, corruption, diligence, disappoints Jesus, divine power, effort, election, energy, excellence, excellence is not an act but a habit, faith, fall, fiasco, fruits, godliness, going to bed early is for the birds, grace and peace, grow in spiritual maturity, help, help of the Holy Spirit, if these things abound in you, in a world of plenty, knowledge, lead and guide us, life, live fruitful lives, LOVE, lust, our bounden duty, our guidebook, patience, people of excellence, perseverance, practice, promises, repetition, self-control, share our good fortune, Simon Peter, spiritual maturity, stumble, superstar, temperance, the BIBLE, the divine nature, the everlasting kingdom, the Holy Spirit, time, toil, true disciples of Jesus, turning and tossing, unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, virtue, we are what we do repeatedly, ye shall neither be barren
2 Peter 1:8. For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Aye Friends, this going to bed early is truly for the birds yes! Steups! I tried it last night and what a fiasco it turned out to be.
Chuh! I was up almost every hour on the hour, then couldn’t find a comfortable position to go back to sleep, and thus kept turning and tossing.
Then I was finally forced to get up by my aches and pains. It surely seems like they have all come out of the woodwork this morning, and have me doddering around like a real old man. (smile)
Don’t know how people lie in their beds for 8 to 10 hours nuh. I could not even make seven comfortably. After about five, if so much, things begin to go awry with me.
But you know what Friends, I will take those aches and pains any day over the more serious problems that more than half the world has. I at least have a roof over my head, food on my table and a comfortable bed to sleep in, I just can’t spend too much time in it. (smile).
However, a lot of our brothers and sisters around the world, don’t have those luxuries, and may never have them throughout their entire lives. What a sad tale in a world of plenty!
At least I know that as the day goes along and I move around, my aches and pains will gradually diminish, but there are too many unfortunates in this rich world whose lives will never change without help, and it is our bounden duty to help them in whatever way we can.
We have to be people of excellence, of LOVE, care and compassion, as Jesus desires us to be, and share our good fortune with the less fortunate. That’s how people will know that we are true disciples of His.
And while we’re on the subject of excellence, listen to this quote attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C). It says that ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’
And that’s very true my people. You just don’t develop excellence overnight; you have to work at it continually. That means that excellence can only be achieved through repetition. And that is why we practice and practice and practice yet again, at the things we want to be excellent in.
Nowadays everybody wants to be a supposed superstar, but unfortunately they don’t want to put in the effort and work necessary to become one. I think it’s the same with our Christian faith. We all want to be mature and righteous and otherwise, but we don’t want to do the things it takes to become such.
Those Christian attributes don’t come overnight nuh mih people. Like everything else, they do take a lot of toil and time, effort and energy, misfortune and suffering. But the beauty of our situation though is that we have the powerful help of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in becoming excellent Christians, provided we’re willing to do what it takes.
No other faith has that divine body continually with them, and I’m sure it disappoints Jesus when we don’t use His Spirit to the max, or in the best ways possible.
Now let’s turn to our guidebook, the Bible, where we have this passage from 2 Peter that exemplifies all that we’ve been speaking about. ‘Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like (the same kind of) precious faith with us through the righteousness of (our) God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this (but also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (perseverance); and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (LOVE).
For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’(2 Pet.1-8)
Yes Friends, we already have everything we need to live fruitful lives, we just have to raise them up and work continuously at them. That’s the only way we can grow in spiritual maturity, which Peter is encouraging us all to do.
And Peter doesn’t stop there, he also shows us the other side of the coin. ‘But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off (is shortsighted), and hath forgotten that he was purged (cleansed) from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (stumble): For so an entrance shall be ministered (supplied) unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ (2 Pet.1:9-11)
There we have it Friends; to become excellent in the knowledge and glory of Christ, we have to work diligently at it. And a large part of becoming mature in Christ is that as we grow, we also put our knowledge, faith, virtue, godliness, brotherly kindness etc. to work.
For we ALL need to remember that our faith, Christianity, is not merely a lot of talking, but even more importantly, plenty, plenty action. So today, as we grow in faith, let’s also grow in our actions nuh, so that others may see our worthwhile fruits and desire to come to Jesus, and get what we have. Much LOVE!
…wherefore…by their fruits ye shall know them… (Matt.7:20)
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