01 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blossoming of life, a simple formula for achieving peace of mind, a warm glow of heat, aggrieved, an undying affirmation of faith and trust, becoming more intimate with God, behold the upright, bring forth thy righteousness as the light., cease from anger, clocks turning back, commit thy way unto the Lord, confidently trust the Lord, Daylight Savings Time, deepen my breath, delight thyself also in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land, everlasting life, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, feed on his faithfulness, forsake wrath, fret not thyself because of evildoers, fret not thyself because of him who prospers, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil, full of the fruit of the Spirit, give thee the desires of thine heaert, growing closer to God, have life more abundantly, he shall bring it to pass, holy spirit, I am the way the truth and the life, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in the face of the wicked's prosperity, increase my awareness of you, it only causes harm, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mark the perfect man, mercy, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, no man comes to the Father but by me, note the blameless man, nothing better than spending time with the Father, refuse to surrender fully to God, Rest in the Lord, surrendering our lives to God, the christian's greatest endeavour, the end of that man is peace, the good graces of the Lord, the Lord shall deliver them from the wicked, the Lord shall help them, the Lord shall save them because they trust in Him, the unchanging character of God, those the wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thy judgement as the noonday, trust also in him, trust the Lord with all of life's problems, undying affirmation of faith and trust, unwise actions, unwisely choose to keep control, wait patiently for the Lord, what it takes to live the abundant life
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 November 2025 Psalm 37:5.
Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And then it was Saturday…our lazy-day Saturday! A mostly sunny and surprisingly somewhat warm day, as I went outside before coming down to write the Bit and felt a warm glow of heat on my face from the mid-morning sun. And is it ever good to feel the warmth of the sun at this time of year. Oh, by the way it’s also the first day of November and all the Halloween nonsense is now finished. The clocks will also be turned back one hour tonight to facilitate Daylight Savings Time, another of our unwise actions.
But the power brokers seem to like those unwise actions, and the people are not enough aggrieved by them to rise up and meaningfully complain. So, until that time comes, we’ll just have to grin and bear it. But that doesn’t mean because we don’t agree with some things that we cannot enjoy life. Absolutely not! For we have a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth and died that we might have life, and have it even more abundantly. (John 10:10b)
As this commentary explains: ‘It means blossoming into a life full of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). While false teachers and false religions offer shallow, temporary relief, only Jesus brings truly everlasting life and spiritual abundance (John 14:6).’ And we know that reference refers to this wonderful verse: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ And He certainly is all of those things!
Anyway, on this first-lazy day Saturday in November, let us now offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, with all sincerity and truth. ‘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 there’s nothing better than spending time with the Father and becoming more intimate with Him. It also warms the cockles of His heart, because He created us for that very purpose; to have strong and LOVING communion with Him. Unfortunately though, too many of us miss out on that glorious situation, because we’re too busy to spend time with God, or we just don’t believe it’s necessary. But as the old people would say; the taste of the pudding is in the eating. It might look good or bad, but you’ll never know what it tastes like until you eat it.
Likewise, you’ll never know how beautiful true intimacy with our heavenly Father is until you try it. That’s where we find all the peace, the calm, the LOVE and compassion, the understanding and joy that enables us to live that abundant life Christ died for us to have. That’s why Bruh David strongly exhorts us in Psalm 27: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For the evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:1-9)
There it is my people, the sure way to enjoy the abundant life that begins right here on earth. And as the scholars explain: ‘The psalm also contains a simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious, (vs. 1), trust…do good (vs. 3), delight thyself also in the Lord (vs.4), commit thy way…trust (vs.5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (vs.7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (vs.8). All of these exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems.’
It surely does my people. And that’s the only way for us to get in to the good graces of the Lord, and most importantly stay in His good graces. It’s not a one time thing, but a continuous process of putting our lives in His august trust, surrendering our lives completely to Him. That’s the ONLY way He can mould and change us into the image of Christ that He desires. The problem though is that too many of us refuse to surrender fully to the Lord. Oh yes, we give Him some parts of ourselves, but not all of us. We unwisely choose to keep some for us to control. But that means we cannot then enjoy the abundant life, because it’s only through total surrender that is possible.
And I like what the scholars say to end their explanation. ‘The psalm concludes most appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’ And reading that most appropriate ending together is a perfect way to end Today’s Bit. So please read with me: ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps. 37:37-40)
Yes my fellow believers, trust and total surrender in the Lord God Jehovah is what it takes to live the abundant life. So let’s be wise and put all that we are and have in His mighty, LOVING and compassionate hands to day nuh. Because it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…growing closer to God each day…should be the Christian’s greatest endeavour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a happier bunch of people, a slave trader, a song of worship, a testimony to God's strength, accept the praise I bring, all roads lead to God's house, Amazing grace, bless the LOrd o my soul, borne our griefs, boundless stores of grace, bruised for our iniquities, calms the troubled breast, carried our sorrows, Christ is our be all and end all, come unto me all ye that labour, crowns thee with loving-kindness, do justice to the song, drives away our fear, esteem him stricken, faith, find rest unto your souls, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, friend, guardian, have life more abundantly, heals all thy diseases, heals our wounds, heavy laden, holy spirit, how grateful we are to Jesus, How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, how weak the effort of my heart, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way the truth and the life, I will give you rest, I would your love proclaim, in a believer's ear, in whom I will trust, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the embodiment of all human needs, Jesus' name resonates sweetly, John Newton, king, lay our problems before Him, LOVE, makes the wounded spirit whole, manna to the hungry soul, mercy, miserable believers, my burden light, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my high tower, my never failing treasury, my shield and hiding place, my strength, my yoke is easy, praise, praise you as I ought, priest, prophet, receive his awesome blessing, redeems thy life from destruction, refresh my soul in death, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, saved from mine enemies, shepherd, smitten of God, soothes our sorrows, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, tender mercies, thanksgiving, the chastisement of our peace, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the music of your name, the rock on which I build, the Sabbath Day, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to the weary rest, truth, when I see you as you are, wisdom, with every fleeting breath, with his stripes we are healed, worthy to be praised, wounded for our transgressions, zealous disciple
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! A good day to be alive my fellow believers! Yes, since all roads lead to God’s house, where, along with praise and thanksgiving, we can lay our problems down before Him and receive His awesome blessing on this Sabbath day. And the good thing is that no other faith but Christianity offers that kind of renewal! So why aren’t we a happier bunch of people eh? Why are there so many grumpy and miserable believers, when Christ came to save us, that we could have life, and have it more abundantly?
Who knows? And with all we have going for us, we ought to be the happiest group of people in the world. However, that’s a question for another day, (smile) and today we have a beautiful song of worship that says how wonderful we feel about Jesus, and how everlastingly grateful we are to Him. The song ‘s titled, ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ And is that ever the gospel truth to His followers.
And it’s certainly interesting and amazing how the author of this song, John Newton (1725-1807), who, though born into a Christian home became a licentious, abominable sailor, and eventually a slave trader, could write such beautiful Christian hymns, over two hundred, including that wonderful, popular Christian anthem, ‘Amazing Grace.’ But that just goes to show how the Lord down through History has used some of the most disgusting and unchristian men to do great things in His name.
Just think of Bruh Paul, who was a persecutor of Christians until the Lord called him to ministry, and he became one of the most loyal and zealous disciples despite all the hardships he faced. Anyway, in the same amazing kind of conversion, John Newton turned to Christ, became an abolitionist and eventually a Christian Minister. Enough talk though, (smile) it’s time to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, scintillating, midtempo version of the song, letting the whole world know, in no uncertain terms, how truly sweet the name of Jesus is to us!
Singing: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace.
O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Oh, what beautiful sentiments my people! And did we ever do justice to the song, so much so, that we had the whole of heaven singing along with us, because it’s not only here on earth that Jesus’ name resonates sweetly, but also in heaven too. And friends, the song is so chocked full of references to scriptures that I don’t know where to begin. So why don’t we begin like the song and talk about Jesus healing our wounds and restoring our wounded spirits.
And there’s no scripture that says it as comprehensively as Psalm 103. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
And then we have this most essential scripture, where Isaiah describes Jesus’ suffering on our behalf: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised (pierced through) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (wounds) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:4-5)
Oh my people, we couldn’t ask for more than that from Christ! He took all the punishment for our sins. Meanwhile, we also have Jesus calling us in the Great Invitation to ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now where else we can receive such a marvellous invitation eh? Nowhere else but from Jesus!
And when talking about the Lord being our strength etc. nobody says it better than Bruh David in Psalm 27. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18: 1-4) What a powerful testimony to God’s strength and protection my brethren!
However, with time and space running out on us, I want to get in some of Jesus’ famous I Am’s, which cover so much of all He said and did. Like this one. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) Then there’s this: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now listen to this one: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And what about this gem? ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And we’ll close with this other gem, where Jesus said to Martha, Lazarus’ sister. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live.’ (John 11:25)
There you have it friends, so many reasons why we ought to be grateful to Jesus and just burst out with joy when we hear His name. For He is indeed our Be All and End All! Let’s remember that! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the embodiment…of ALL that human beings need…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
09 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a journey of becoming like Jesus, a legal benefit of our union with Christ, a mercy seat, a part of the discipleship process, a product of God's grace, a spiritual benefit of our union with Christ, a weekend release, all have sinned, attain God's standard of righteousness, being justfied freely by his grace, Bible, can never be reckoned, Christ has imputed His righeousness to the sinner, Christ has satisfied God's holy law, Christ's death is the ransom, christianity, curse, declared righteous, divine provision, duty bound, faith, fallen short of the glory of God, favour, fly away to heaven, forgiveness of sins, from the tiring throes, get a good handle on, God hath set forth, God's unmerited favour, good health, grace, growing in divine grace, handle the ups and downs, have life more abundantly, having Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, holy spirit, human need, I am come that they might have life, I am the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, Jesus' shed blood, judicial standing before God, justification, justified, life in the big city, LOVE, mercy, negative word, no just cause in man to warrant justification, of the daily grind and common task, passing over of sins, redemption, release on payment of ransom, righteous, salvation, sanctification, sanctified, self-discipline, set apart, set apart for God's purposes, supernatural strength, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus, the monumental work of Jesus, the penultimate day of our work week, the process of becoming holy, the remission of sins, the same ole everyday life, the sinner is not rendered guiltless but pardoned, the spilled blood of Jesus, the thief coes only to steal and kill, through Christian commitment, through faith in his blood, through the forbearance of God, through the redemption in Christ Jesus, to be a propitiation, to declare his righteousness, to spend eternity with Christ, transformation into the image of Christ, truth, washed, wisdom, with a good attitude
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of our workweek, and we’re just mindlessly moving along, somewhat impatiently waiting for Friday to show up with its promise of a weekend release from the frustrating and tiring throes of the daily grind and common task. (smile) But that’s life in the big city my people, and the only way to get a good handle on the bland, same ole everyday life is by having Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and thereby getting all the tools to handle whatever ups and downs might come your way, with a good attitude.
That’s called the abundant life! Jesus died that we might have it. Listen as He says so: ‘The thief cometh not but (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) What more can we ask for eh friends? Nothing really, for Christ gave His life on the cross at Calvary so that we could have a decent earthly life and then fly away to heaven to spend eternity with Him!
As He said: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did! So why is it so difficult to trust Him eh, to surrender our all to a Deity who died that we could live a righteous, justified, sanctified, holy and blessed life? And Bruh Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, explained that no evil doers shall inherit the kingdom of God: ‘And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Cor. 6:11)
And what do those terms really mean eh? This commentary takes us a little deeper, as it explains. ‘Justification is a legal benefit of our union with Christ, granting us forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through faith alone (Rom. 3:23-26; Gal. 2:16). Sanctification is a Spiritual benefit of our union with Christ, involving the believer’s transformation into the holy likeness of Christ.’ So, you see all that we are, comes through Christ!
And I just found this interesting information on Sanctification. It says: ‘Sanctification is a Christian term that refers to the process of becoming holy or being set apart for a special purpose. It can also refer to the state of being sanctified. Sanctification is a lifelong process that involves: Being set apart from the world for God’s purposes, Growing in divine grace through Christian commitment, Being transformed into the likeness of Christ, Submitting one’s heart, mind, and body to following Jesus. Sanctification is part of the discipleship process, which is a journey of becoming like Jesus. It’s a product of God’s grace, and it’s anticipated that Christ will complete the process of sanctification when he returns.’
Hope that helps us to understand more about sanctification and appreciate the big step it is in our Christian life. And yes, it does seem to be somewhat onerous, but let’s remember that with Christ as our Main Man, all things are possible. Now, let’s have a look at those verses in Romans that the above commentary referenced. I believe they can help further our understanding of the process of how and who we become by the spilled blood of Jesus.
Bruh Paul writes: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ (Rom. 3:23-26)
Now that’s certainly a mouthful, and is somewhat confusing, so let’s hear how the scholars explain it. ‘3:23: For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness. 3:24: Being justified indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God. Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By his grace: Unmerited favour is bestowed through the redemption (release on payment of ransom). Christ’s death is the ransom. The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom’s having been paid.
3:25-26: Through faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In his blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation (atonement, forgiveness of sins) was accomplished. Just, and the justifier: God can remain just (true to His nature) and still declare sinners to be righteous only because Christ has paid for sin and satisfied (propitiated) His holy law. The sinner is not rendered guiltless but pardoned. Christ has taken the sin on Himself and has imputed (assigned, credited) His righteousness to the sinner.’
Wow! That’s a whole lot to understand, but it’s ever so important if we are to know all our rights, privileges and responsibilities in God, through Christ! Please, let’s spend some time considering all that we’ve said today nuh, so that we can grow in spiritual understanding and intimacy with God. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!) and thus activating our Thursday Blessings, which the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…oh…the monumental work that Jesus’ shed blood has done for us…it’s value can never be reckoned…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
10 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a lively hope, according to his riches in glory, after all these things do the Gentiles seek, all these things shall be added unto you, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, Bible, blessing and cursing, born again, choose life, christianity, do not worry, dwhat you shall drink, eternal life, eternal separation from Almighty God, faith, god, have life more abundantly, hurry, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, in god's eyes, it's foolish to reject christ, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my God shall supply all your needs, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set before you life and death, share His love with my neighbours, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take no thought, take no thought for the morrow, the beloved of God, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the gospel of christ, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, trial and tribulation, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what you shall eat, what you shall wear, wisdom, worry, your heavenly Father knows you need all these things
Deuteronomy 30:19. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
So it’s Tuesday, a new day, one filled with lots of new mercies and compassions from our wonderful God, but possibly also much trial and tribulation. However, as Jesus so rightly advised in the Sermon on the Mount re the subject of worry: ‘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. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (therefore do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil trouble thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Yes friends, it doesn’t make sense worrying about tomorrow, for who knows what tomorrow may bring…some of us might not even be alive on the morrow…possibly given up the ghost because we were so worried about what could happen. (smile) The fact is that each new day brings a new batch of problems that gives us enough cause for concern, no need to add what might happen in the day(s) to come. And anyway, as Jesus says, if we keep God first place in our lives, then all our basic needs will be taken care of.
And Bruh Paul also reiterates that promise to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And He will, if you truly believe! And if you want more assurance of God’s faithful promise, then listen to this marvellously reassuring statement from Bruh David in Psalm 23, the most well known and beloved psalm. He simply states with heartfelt certainty: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) Or in other words, if I make the Lord my shepherd, I will not lack anything I truly need.
And what greater promise can one desire than that eh? For the natural nature of a shepherd is to provide for all the wants and needs of his sheep. And Jesus made it absolutely clear of His role, when He made these declarations: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:7-11, 14)
Oh my people, what more can we ask of Jesus eh? Nothing really! He came seeking His lost sheep, died for them on the cross of Calvary, so that they could have a better and more abundant life, starting right down here on earth, then morphing into eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! That’s the greatest thing that’s ever been done for mankind! And all we have to do to get that gift of salvation and eternal life is believe on Jesus; that He is the Son of God, and He died to repay our sin debt in full.
What’s so hard to believe in that, especially for the rewards that are held in store for us? As Peter puts it: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed at the last time.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-5)
How magnificent is that eh? Through Jesus’s resurrection from the dead, we have new hope, are born again, receive salvation because of our faith in Christ, and are assured of incorruptible and undefiled treasure awaiting us in heaven! Oh my people, what does Satan promise for doing his evil deeds and engaging in some lustful short-lived pleasures eh? Nothing but death and damnation, eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul! And I keep harping on the eternal separation from God, because it is indeed the worst thing that can ever happen to us!
And if you still don’t believe me, then listen to this story as told by Jesus, of the rich man and the beggar. While alive here on earth, the rich man enjoyed the pleasures of the world on his wealth, while the poor man, a beggar called Lazarus, sat at his gate and begged for scraps from his table, while the dogs came and licked his sores. However, when the beggar died, he was carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham, or heaven, to enjoy the messianic feast. But when the rich man died, he descended into hell, where the fires continuously burned hot and tortuous.
And in his torment, he looked up to heaven and saw the beggar ensconced in Abraham’s bosom and begged Abraham to send the beggar to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue. But Abraham reminded him that in life he received the good things while Lazarus received evil stuff. Now things were turned around, and Lazarus was receiving the good things while he was being tormented in hell. And besides, there was a great gulf, chasm between heaven and hell which no one could cross over.
Then the hell bound soul pleaded with Abraham to send Lazarus to his family still alive on earth to warn them of the torment in hell. But Abraham replied that his family had the words of Moses and the prophets to listen to, and if that could not persuade them to live right, then neither could one who rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:19-31)
Ah mih people, it can indeed be a rough life, but if we come to belief in Christ and hold on tightly to Him through all the tough times, we will eventually be well rewarded, not necessarily here on earth, but most certainly in heaven. So what’s it to be eh? A life of worry and illicit pleasures that ends in eternal separation, or one of righteous living that ends in eternal life? The answer rests in the heart of each individual, and no one can answer it but you.
But as Moses said to the Israelites: ‘I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19) It could not get any clearer than that my brethren. So let’s go home now declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration, we are now duty bound to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…once you have heard the gospel of Christ…you would be foolish to reject it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, be as ashes under the soles of your feet, blowing his own horn, divine help, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, glorify your father in heaven, grow up as calves of the stall, have life more abundantly, have seen a great light, holy spirit, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, Let your light so shine before men, lighteth every man that comes into the world, LOVE, quiet my soul, salvation, see your good works, sincere prayer, slow my thoughts, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Messiah, the people that walked in darkness, the Sun of righteousness, the thief only comes to steal and to kill, the true light, tread down the wicked, upon them hath the light shined, warm the cockles of God's heart, wisdom
John 10:7. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the DOOR of the SHEEP.
And this snow-white, chilly, lazy-day Saturday has opened up with brilliant sunshine! Glory to God! And isn’t it rather interesting and amazing how sunshine can alleviate even the worst of days, both physically and emotionally. I guess that’s just the normal response that the light of Jesus has on us, His oh so important creation. Remember, He created both the sun and us, and all His creations work hand in hand with each other as He’s built in an automatic chemistry between them. Yes friends, in God’s great and wonderful universe, all things work together, for good. (smile)
Now, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and offer it up 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!’
That prayer touches my heart, and I know it touches God’s too, because it’s simple and to the point; desiring more of God in our lives, to truly feel His awesome presence and LOVE flowing around, in and through us. And the Lord always answers sincere prayers like that, because they warm the cockles of His heart, letting Him know that His people truly desire Him to be with them. And that’s why, if we were sincere in that prayer, our hearts and souls are now quiet and at peace, and we can say ‘Thank You Lord, for Your peace and LOVE!’
Now, yesterday we began looking at the many I AM’s that Jesus declared (yes!!!) Himself to be, while here on earth, but because of much talking, (smile) was only able to finish the first one; ‘I AM the BREAD of LIFE!’ So without further ado, let’s look at the second one, ‘I AM the LIGHT of the WORLD!’ (John 8:12) Jesus made that magnanimous statement to a group of unbelieving Pharisees, who figured that it could not be true because he was ‘bearing record’ or witnessing of His own self, in other words blowing His own horn.
But if the foolish, hypocritical Pharisees had taken time to consult the scriptures, the Old Testament, since there was as yet no New Testament, they would have seen several references to Christ as the bearer of spiritual light. Scriptures like this one from Isaiah: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) To whom does that refer, if not to Jesus, the coming Messiah?
And this scripture from Malachi also refers to Jesus. ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall-fed calves). And ye shall tread down (trample) the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord.’ (Mal. 4:2-3) Yes friends, as the scholars explain, ‘the Sun of righteousness is a figurative representation of the Messiah,’ our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And we all know that the main purpose of the Sun is to bring light to the darkness, therefore Jesus’ coming, brought light to this dark and evil world. And John 1:1-9 gives us further enlightenment on Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world. But because of time and space we can only quote this verse: ‘That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ (John 1:9) John the Baptist only came to bear news of the Light, that was Jesus. And most importantly, now that Jesus is no longer on earth in physical form, He’s bequeathed to us, His followers, that designation, when He said: ‘Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:14 &16)
That means we have our work cut out for us here, in this world of near total darkness. But that’s a sermon for another day,let’s turn now to the Jesus’ next declaration (yeah!!!) of ‘I AM,’ which has to do with being the door to the sheep enclosure. As He specifies: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the DOOR of the SHEEP. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I AM the DOOR: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10)
Isn’t that ever so wonderful my people, that Jesus is the door to our salvation! Anyone else who claims to be our Saviour is a liar and a thief, and only comes to disrupt the sheepfold and bring further calamity. But Jesus refuses to allow it, as He says in His next ‘I AM,’ statement. ‘I AM the GOOD SHEPHERD: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling (a hired man), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling (hired man) fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I AM the GOOD SHEPHERD, and know my sheep, and am known of them.’ (John 10:11-14)
Oh my fellow saints, do we truly know and believe that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd of our Christian flock, and the door by whom we must enter to receive salvation? I certainly hope so, otherwise we’ll be left out in the cold when Jesus returns. And if you think things are bad now, believe me, they’ll be ever so much worse if Jesus returns and you’re not numbered amongst the sheep of His fold. So please, on this first lazy-day Saturday in Lent, let’s take the time to analyze both our physical and spiritual selves and see if we are in sync with Jesus. And if not, let’s go to the Father, through the Holy Spirit, and ask for divine help to make it so. Turning to the Father for divine help is always the best decision in any situation! Much LOVE!
…whatever your situation calls for…Jesus is the answer…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, as a roaring lion, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye kind one to another, bounden duty, curse, draw nigh to God, faith, favour, forgiving one another, God for Christ's sake has forgiven you, good health, good to the use of edifying, have life more abundantly, his bark is worse than his bite, it is written, let him that stole steal no more, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, LOVE, minister grace unto the hearers, negative word, neither give place to the devil, resist steadfast in the faith, resist the devil and he will flee from you, satan a toothless lion, seeking whom he may devour, the devil looks for us to make missteps, the God of all grace, the upper hand, Thursday Blessings, your adversary the devil
Ephesians 4:27. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Well, it seems that the sun has the upper hand in the weather contest this Thursday morning in early spring. But fear not, the dark clouds are hovering around, ready to slip in, once the sun makes a wrong step. And that is exactly how the devil does with us believers. He’s always there hovering and loitering, waiting for us to make a misstep, then jump right into the opening in our souls and spirits. And that’s why there are so many warnings in the scriptures about being careful of the wiles and evil schemes of Beelzebub.
Jesus even warned us about falsehood and evil in this world. He said in no uncertain terms: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And that’s exactly what He did on the cross at Calvary; gave His life for us, the sheep of His pasture. But the devil has no such good intentions towards us. He just wants to wreak havoc amongst us and invade our souls and do the same there, his basic intention being to turn us away from believing in and truly living for Christ.
And that’s why we have to pay serious attention to this scripture from Peter. He writes: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. 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. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
There you have it in black and white friends: the devil is always prowling around to see whom he can snare in his evil trap. And though he pretends to be a lion, he’s a toothless one, with only a frightening roar. That’s because Jesus knocked out all of his teeth when He died and rose from the dead. That was Jesus’ knockout punch to the enemy, thus making him a toothless and powerless foe. Remember, he has no power over us, unless we give it to him. As they say, his bark is worse than his bite, since he has no teeth to bite. (smile) The problem though is that we continually give the devil room to manoeuvre in our lives because we don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we do and say.
And that’s James’ reason for warning us, when he says: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded….Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10) Yes friends, we must resist the devil. That’s the only way we can get rid of him. And one way of doing that is by turning seriously and sincerely to God. Humbling ourselves before Him, cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts through sincere communication and doing of His holy will.
The devil won’t just go away and leave you alone…at least not for long. As Luke reminds us in the temptation of Jesus. ‘And when the devil had ended all the temptation (testing), he departed from him for a season (until an appropriate time).’ (Luke 4:13) That shows when you resist the devil, he goes away, but only until he sees another opportune time to confound you. But please note too how Jesus resisted the devil during His period of testing; by quoting scripture to him. ‘It is written…that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4) ‘It is written…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’ (Luke 4:8) ‘It is written…Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’ (Luke 4:12)
Yes my fellow believers, when the devil gets a good dose of scriptures in his evil machinations, he goes away, but only for a time. That’s why we need to read, meditate and remember the scriptures so we can throw it back in his face when he comes a calling. Now, please note that when Jesus shot the scriptures at the devil, he backed off. So don’t think for one moment that Satan doesn’t know the scriptures. He possibly knows them better than us, for remember once upon a time, he was the Archangel Lucifer, the Bright Morning Star, who’s foolish pride caused him to rebel against God and get kicked out of heaven down to the fiery depths of Hades.
And we can’t quote scriptures on resisting the devil and not quote these from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. (smile) He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lust; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Oh my fellow saints that’s just the way we ought to live as true believers! And I know that it’s not always easy to live the godly, righteous life, but it’s the best way to fight off the enemy and his evil wiles and schemes. Don’t give him even a toe hold in our lives by doing the things Bruh Paul warns of. And if we live that way, we won’t have to fight off the devil as often. Now, I hope that give us some reassurance in standing up mano a mano to the enemy, but our God is so wonderful that He’s bestowed blessings on us, that we call Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work and live the way He desires. Let’s declare (steups!!!) them out loud now so we can activate them.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them to help others come to know and LOVE Jesus like we do! Much LOVE!
…living the way Jesus desires…reduces the attacks of the enemy…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
10 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a modicum of circumspection, a positive outlook on life, abundance, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not overcome of evil, bring others to Christ, brotherly LOVE, creativity, cry himself but not be heard, curse, do unto others as you want them to do to you, fervent in spirit, forgive every one their trespasses, have life more abundantly, he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man, he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich, in honour preferring one another, life is like a boomerang, love not sleep lest thou come to poverty, LOVE Revolution, negative word, not slothful in business, open thine eyes, overcome evil with good, recompense to no man evil for evil, self-control, serving the Lord, talent, Thanks be to God, the Big Library, the cry of the poor, the motto of heaven, thou shalt be satisfied with bread, Thursday Blessings, we reap what we sow, whoso stoppeth his ears
Proverbs 21:13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
And then it was Thursday! Another glorious day in the life! Thanks be to God! Ah friends, I wonder if most of us realize how blessed and privileged we are to be seeing another day on God’s great earth eh? Yes, we certainly are, since many others did not get that same blessed privilege and we can read their names in the obits. And I’m sure that many of them expected and wanted to awaken this bright sunshiny autumn morn, but unfortunately didn’t. That’s why it’s ever so important to enjoy each and every day that we see the light of God shining through the darkness.
Now I’m chuckling here as I just opened the Big Library, for the Bible is not simply a Book, but a Library with numerous Books in it. So, I just opened the Library and it opened unto a very interesting and most appropriate word of advice from Cousin Sol. He wisely advises: ‘LOVE not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.’ (Prov. 20:13) And is that ever the gospel truth my people! However you want to take it, literally or metaphorically, too much sleep will eventually bring us despair. But if we get up and get, follow the Lord’s will for our lives, then we will be blessed with untold prosperity.
Remember Jesus said that He came to die for us that we could have life, and have it so abundantly till it overflows. Well, we can’t get that abundant life by just sitting on our fannies, enjoying our past laurels, expecting it to just happen on its own. No, we have to do something useful in Jesus’ name to get that abundant life.
And Bruh Paul corroborates Cousin Sol’s words when he tells the Romans: ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another. Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence); fervent (boiling over) in spirit, serving the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:10-11) Yes friends, that’s the kind of attitude and behaviour we ought to display if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus!
And by the way, here’s another wonderful tidbit from Cousin Sol. ‘He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.’ (Prov. 21:17) So that’s another no-no in the search for the abundant life. Nothing’s wrong with pleasure, wine and oil in moderation, for they are all a reward for our labour, but to focus steadfastly and only on them is a definite disaster waiting to happen. And we all know people, even believers who have fallen into that trap of the devil and are shaking it rather rough.
Now, the sad and unfortunate thing about our failures and mistakes is that they don’t affect just us, the individual, but it flows right through our families, friends, and associates. They all are affected in some manner by our wrong choices and unwise behaviour. That means it’s ever so important that we be very careful about our lifestyles, and live them as Jeeves was won’t to say, ‘with a modicum of circumspection.’ (smile) And that brings us to this next tidbit I just espied in Cousin Sol’s works. (smile) He says: ‘Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.’ (Prov. 21:13)
Oh my people, that’s the motto of heaven itself! In other words, we reap what we sow! And Jesus said it this way: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) Yes friends, life is like a boomerang; whatever you send out, good or bad, it comes rocketing back to you eventually.
But, unfortunately, many of us don’t take that basic concept into consideration when we look for revenge or try to do wrong to someone else. That’s why Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome. ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)…Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17, 21)
Now my brethren, if we are as wise as we ought to be (smile) that should touch our very hearts and souls and wake us up to the reality of the evil and wrongdoing that’s so pervasive in many of our lives and the world in general. Remember the portrait Jesus painted in Matthew 18 when He spoke of forgiveness, with the servant who owed his master a lot of money but could not repay it, so he begged the master for mercy and the master granted him a complete withdrawal of all debt.
However, the same servant who was shown such incredible mercy responded by locking up a fellow servant who owed him a pittance. His fellow servants brought the matter to his master’s attention. And the master wailed on the unforgiving servant: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35)
Unfortunately though, forgiveness is not a big thing in our world these days, but the truth of the Golden Rule has always been with us, and will always be. Listen to how Jesus says it nuh. ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) And oh, if we would only live by that rule even a li’l more than we’re currently doing, our world would be such a wonderful place!
Anyway, it’s Thursday and the Lord has given us tools to try and bring those wise and godly attributes to our fellow man, tools we call our Thursday Blessings. However, they have to be declared (steups!!!) out loud for them to be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh, in strong and sincere voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, let’s go out and use those tools to bring others to Christ, or at least to teach them to forgive and do unto others as they wish others to do unto them! That’s the least we can do. Much LOVE!
…why do we always seek forgiveness and goodness…but are so reluctant to grant them…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
22 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, all such rejoicing is evil, and doeth it not to him it is sin, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and get gain, courage, creativity, curse, have life more abundantly, I am come that they might have life, in a partnership with God, LOVE, negative word, new mercies and compassions, sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, that appeareth for a little time than vanisheth away, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the mountain of sins, the penultimate day of the work week, this is the day the Lord has made, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, Thursday Blessings, to him that knoweth to do good, unchristian conduct, unto whom much is given much is required, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what is your life, wisdom in spades, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, your life is even a vapour
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.
And then it was Thursday, the penultimate day of the workweek, with many of us anxiously, hopefully looking forward to that last day tomorrow. But please remember Jesus’ wise advice: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34).
Now that’s the overwhelming truth my people! We need to look after, to concentrate on today, which is all we have right now. Tomorrow will look after itself. We don’t know if we’ll even be around to see tomorrow, so why spend so much time concentrating on it eh? Instead, let’s do as the psalmist so wisely proclaimed: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
And that’s wisdom in spades. Today is what we have, so let’s enjoy it, otherwise we’re wasting God’s precious time and blessings, especially the new mercies and compassions that He’s prepared new for us this special day. Yes mih bredrin, every day we spend on this planet earth is a special day which the Lord made so that we can enjoy it and do His will. That’s why He blesses us anew every day.
Jesus said it very clearly: ‘I am come that they (His flock, His followers) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) Now how can we enjoy a more abundant life if we’re always thinking of tomorrow and not focusing on today, as we ought to eh? That’s defeating Jesus’ very plan for our lives. And I like how James admonishes his readers, and consequently us on the subject of tomorrow.
Describing unchristian conduct, he writes: ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ ((James 4:13-17)
Oh my people, James covers a whole lot in those few verses. So let’s see what the scholars have to say on them. Re 13-14: ‘This one is a fool, for he thinks he knows something that he doesn’t. He presumes he has the resources to control his destiny. (cf. Prov. 27:1; Luke 12:13-21).’ And those scriptures are excellent references of our unfortunate concentration on tomorrow. In the verse from Proverbs, Cousin Sol does declare very forcefully. ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1)
Meanwhile the passage from Luke is where Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who had so much that he had no room to store it. So, in his wisdom, decides to tear down everything and build anew, that he might have space to store all his wealth, and then take things easy: ‘eat, drink and be merry.’ But in his frail and finite wisdom he missed one important thing, he did not factor in God’s will.
Consequently, when God came along, He said to him. ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:20-21) Yes friends, we are in a partnership with Almighty God and partners are supposed to talk with and cooperate with each other. That means we cannot make plans without including God.
And going back to the verses from James, the scholars tell us in vs.15: Re ‘This or that. This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James only condemns elaborate planning that omits God. (cf. Prov. 16:9)’ Now, since I delight in spoon feeding us, (smile) here is that verse from Proverbs. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov. 16:9) Yes my people, our God is indeed sovereign over our scheming and planning. So it’s His will that usually wins out.
And moving back once more to James, we discover that in vs. 17: ‘To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning; it is sin.’ And that’s not rocket science, but simple common sense. If you know what is right to do, and don’t do it, then you’re wrong, and it can therefore be construed as sin. And Jesus, in His telling of the parable of the unfaithful servant, (Luke 12:41-48) says as much.
‘And that servant, which knew his lord’s (master’s) will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.’ (Luke 12:47-48)
Oh friends, right there, Jesus is indirectly talking about us. Servants bear a great responsibility to their masters, and if Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, we as His followers, or His servants, also bear a huge responsibility to Him and His will. We need to remember that at all times. Yes, life is good, is better with Jesus than with anybody else, but that good life doesn’t come gratis or free. There is indeed a price to pay, a responsibility to be shouldered, and if we don’t shoulder our responsibilities, then there are consequences to be suffered for our irresponsibility.
But our God is so good that He doesn’t just send us out to do His bidding without the necessary tools to accomplish it. That’s why we’ve been endowed with what we call our Thursday Blessings, tools to perform His awesome will. So, let’s activate them right now by declaring (steups!!!) them nuh.
Altogether now, in strong and sincere voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those marvellous blessings, let’s go out now and put them to use in Jesus’ name, as is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…can you imagine the mountain of sins…we believers pile up each day…by knowing the good and right things to do…and not doing them…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fairy tale, bore the weight of all our sins, choosing heaven over hell is a no brainer, diabolical deceit, endure to the very end, find pasture on which to feed, gospel truth, have life more abundantly, hellfire and damnation, his satanic majesty, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I'm not turning back, imbued with His righteousness, in honour and glory of God the Father, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life, joy shall be in heaven over one repentant sinner, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, Praise the Lord, reconciled back to God, revenge against God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the parables of the lost, the thief coes only to steal and kill, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, wisdom in spades
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
So friends, another day has dawned, one we call Wednesday, and we’re still around – no mention of us in the obits – and for that we give much thanks and praise! That’s why we are just bursting with vim and vigour to do the Lord’s work in an excellent and diligently manner, so that His name can be exalted and glorified in all the earth! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy to the unworthy children of men! Amen!’
Yes friends, we’re not worthy, do not deserve the Lord’s blessings and LOVING-kindness, but He gives it to us anyway, because He LOVES us. He created us for communion and fellowship with Him, and though, down through the ages, we’ve turned away from him, been disobedient and prideful, He still LOVES us with a passion that can never be replicated, and desires that we all come home to Him, so that we can spend eternity in His amazing presence.
Oh, I know that the idea of God’s unconditional and undying LOVE for us His disobedient and unfaithful children can sound like a fairy tale, but it’s the gospel truth. Our God has no choice but to LOVE us since His greatest attribute is LOVE! And it’s not just a talk of LOVE like so many of us do, but He’s shown that awesome LOVE by actually sending His Son Jesus Christ in the flesh, as a man, like other men, to die on the cross of Calvary so that our sins could be forgiven, and we could be reconciled back to His LOVING arms and tender mercies.
Now why wouldn’t we accept such amazing kindness eh? I really don’t know. Perhaps, because we’re just foolish, selfish, prideful and filled with a false sense of our own importance. But please understand that whatever is keeping us away from accepting Almighty God as our heavenly Father and His awesome Son, Jesus, as our Lord and Saviour, consists of nothing but terrible lies and diabolical deceit. And if you knew and understood these true and faithful words of Jesus, the whole situation would suddenly become clear to you.
Listen as He explains. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to (except to) steal, and kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)
And that’s exactly what He did friends; sacrificed His sinless life, bore all the weight of our sins on His shoulders, so that we could be imbued with His righteousness! Now, does an ordinary or not caring man do something as radical and emotional as that? Obviously not! There has to be a very good reason for such unselfish and redeeming behaviour.
And Jesus’ reason was to open the door to his sheepcote so that sinners like you and I could enter in and find life, life abundant and eternal, protection and good pasture on which to feed and grow in all goodness and honour to the glory of God the Father, who was the originator of the whole process, because of His great LOVE and compassion for us, not wanting to lose even one creation to the enemy.
Wow! It all comes right back, full circle to the Father’s unexplainable grace and mercy towards us, His sinful, disobedient children. And if you’re a parent, you ought to understand that apparent contradiction, because ofttimes our children go astray, their decisions and behaviour anger and disappoint us, but we don’t throw them away, simply put them out – at least not the first few times. (smile) We make an effort to turn them around to the right way of thinking and behaving, so that they don’t get into deeper waters, into greater trouble.
Now that’s exactly what our heavenly Father is trying to do; keep us away from the lies and deceits of Satan, who doesn’t LOVE us one iota, but only wants to get our souls for revenge against God, for kicking him out of heaven when he foolishly tried to overthrow Him. How foolish can one be eh? How can the created overthrow the Creator eh? But you know what, we’ve listened to so many of Satan’s lies that we now believe like he did, that it’s possible to remove Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all therein, from His creation! What fallacy, what foolishness!
My fellow believers, if we believe those fairy tales, then just like Satan we will suffer the ignominy, the humiliation and great disappointment of never entering the pearly gates of heaven, but being entrapped forever in the ungodly fires of hell, with his satanic majesty, suffering whatever retribution he suffers.
And what’s truly wonderful about our great God is that He never puts us out or turns us away even when we are going down into the sorry pits of hellfire and damnation! No! Instead, that’s when He makes His most valiant effort to take us up out of the deadly mire in which Satan has us engulfed. As the true saying goes: ‘when we are at our lowest, that’s when God is at His best!’ Glory be my people!
And just to show how sincere and desperate the Lord is for sinners to come back to Him, listen to this synopsis of three parable Jesus told when the Pharisees criticized Him for eating with sinners. Those were the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In each case, He said the owners of that which was lost left the rest of what they had; sheep, coins and sons, and went searching diligently, high and low until they found what was missing. And they rejoiced greatly with their neighbours over the finding of what and who were lost. (Luke 15:1-32)
Mama oh Mama! And here’s the great reason behind those parables, as Jesus explains: ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons, which need no repentance.’ (Luke 15:7) Remember Jesus came to save the lost, the sick, those in bondage to sin, to bring light to those living in darkness, not for the upright who need no saving. That means the Lord is on our side, and He’s done and still doing His best to bring us onside, but He won’t do it against our will. That’s why He gave us free will, so we could make the choice between life and death.
And for those of us who have already chosen life, let’s go home declaring…chuh man!!! I spelt it right in my mind, but my fingers let me down. (smile) But be that as it may, let’s go home declaring (yayyy!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes my brethren, that’s wisdom in spades! And just a li’l extra encouragement; if we endure right to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask for or imagine. So please let that strengthen our resolve to live for Jesus to the very end! Much LOVE!
…choosing heaven over hell…is what we call a no brainer…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a grim countenance, a reserved place in heaven, abundance, achieve great faith, atonement for sins, be joyful and of good cheer, be not afraid or anxious, be not wise in thine own eyes, courage, curse, defeating the purpose of Christ's sacrificial death, disregard the difficulties of the moment, enter the crazy milieu, expectations of leaisure and pleasure, faith like a grain of mustard seed, fear the Lord and depart from evil, grace, have life more abundantly, heavens seems like a distant nebulous place, heroes of faith, honour the Lord with thy substance, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, mercy, negative word, overcome life's problems, peace be still, prepare for Monday, talent, the complexities of life, the first fruits of all thine increase, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Thursday Blessings, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, unconditional LOVE, we only grow through adversity
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Then came Thursday, and we are all moving along steadfastly, knowing that there is only one day between us and the big day of Friday. And I have this interesting question to pose on that subject. Why do we handle life so much better when we have something to look forward to eh, something that pleases us, or will work on our behalf? We handle Thursday quite nicely, knowing that the next day is Friday, and our weekend pleasures will begin.
But we don’t handle Sunday quite as nicely, definitely not looking forward to Monday, the start of our work week. We often seem to have a grim countenance on Sunday evenings as we prepare for Monday. That is when we do prepare for Monday before Monday morning, (smile) and then have to rush and panic and become frustrated before we enter the crazy milieu with other frantic people hurrying to work.
Is it that expectations of leisure and pleasure boost our spirits so much that we conveniently disregard the difficulties of the moment? And if that’s so, then this next question automatically follows; why then aren’t we conveniently disregarding the problems of this world when we think of all the leisure and pleasure we will have in heaven with Jesus?
Is it because heaven seems like a nebulous place a long way off, and neither do we expect to get there for a long long time? (smile) Or is it that we simply don’t have enough faith in Jesus and all His promises to rebuke the things and images of this evil world? But whatever the reason for our disregard of things heavenly, I want to remind us today that that’s not a very wise approach to life.
Remember Christ said He died for us to have life, and to have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Now that’s not only spiritual or eternal life after we die, but also a good and practical physical life, for heaven doesn’t begin when we die, but when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. So, if we don’t accept the many things He offers down here on earth, we are defeating the purpose of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary.
Yes friends, Christ’s death included much more than atonement for sins and a reserved place in heaven! It includes things like grace, mercy, and unconditional LOVE, through the awesome power and guidance of the Holy Spirit! In other words, help to navigate this cruel and wicked world with a modicum of peace, LOVE and joy that’s otherwise unattainable! Please remember His offers of peace and reassurance in John 14:27, and 16:33. And if we sincerely accept them, then we ought not be afraid or anxious, but joyful and of good cheer.
And yes, it can be tough to do those things when the storms of life seem to be coming against us with full force, but Jesus calmed the physical storm on the Sea of Galilee by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still. ’ (Mark 4:39) So, if He can calm physical storms, there’s no reason whatsoever why He can’t calm the emotional and spiritual ones roiling in our souls. But we have to turn to Him seriously and sincerely, and have even a little faith, like that of a small mustard seed, as Jesus describes it: ‘Which, indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge (nest) in the branches thereof.’ (Matt. 13:32)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s how the kingdom of God grows in us – little by little. And unfortunately, that growth is controlled by the difficulties we face in this world, because it’s only through adversity that we can grow in faith. Each difficulty we conquer raises the level of our faith, and helps us to conquer the next one in an easier manner. The sad fact is that that as we grow in faith, so do the complexities of life grow in complexity. (smile) But that’s how we achieve great faith.
And if you read Hebrews 11, that great chapter on the Heroes of Faith, you’ll see that all of them went through tough times before their faith grew strong and great. The important thing that they all did though from the beginning was trust in the Lord and acknowledge His faithfulness, even when it wasn’t yet manifested in their lives. Now that’s what God expects of His followers; a high level of trust in His faithfulness although we haven’t yet experienced it. It’s not easy, but that’s why we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; to help us achieve that trust.
And these magnificent and wise words penned by Cousin Sol in Proverbs, gives us the perfect formula for achieving it. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions) and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So that thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5:10)
Oh my people, if you must choose five verses from the scriptures that reflect the best and wisest way to live for and with God, those are them! You can never go wrong if you follow that wise advice of Cousin Sol. But that’s exactly where so many of us go wrong, we might know the advice, but we don’t take it as seriously as we ought, and thus end up with problems that could have been otherwise avoided.
Anyway, the Lord in His awesome grace, has bestowed on us several tools to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. However, since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared out loud, let’s declare them right now nuh, so that they can take effect. Altogether 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 every day! Amen!’
And as always, when God blesses us, He also expects us to use those blessings to bless others in His holy name. So, let’s go out and do that as generously as God did it with us nuh. Much LOVE!
…only through the help and strength of Jesus…can we successfully overcome life’s problems…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
Previous Older Entries
SCRIP-BITS 