18 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rushing mighty wind, a taste of summer, and share His love with the world, baptism of the Holy Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, began to speak with other tongues, cloven tongues like as of fire, Comforter, filled with the Holy Ghost, from the least unto the greatest, hurry, I can trust my friend Jesus, I will be their God, I will forgive their iniquity, I will put my law in their inward parts, in God's eyes, Intro to Holy Spirit 101, John truly baptized with water, LOVE, no more teach every man his neighbour, Pentecost day, remember their sin no more, saying Know the Lord, the abundant life, the beloved of God, the Holy Spirit indwells each believer, there came a sound from heaven, they shall all know me, they shall be my people, Tuesday Mantra, worry, write it in their hearts, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, ye shall be witnesses unto me, ye shall receive power when the Holy ghost is come upon you
Acts 1:5.For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Ah chuh! It’s a chilly, windy, cloudy Tuesday morning in mid-April! The bout of summer weather we had last week has disappeared just as quickly as it came, and now we’re back to regular spring temps, with much wind and rain. But let’s look at it from a positive angle nuh, we’ve gotten a preview taste of summer, and it looks like it’s going to be fine! Glory be! We’ll take a week of hot weather anytime. The important thing though is that we’ll be joyful with whatever we get, and handle it with aplomb, knowing that the Lord’s presence, His grace and mercy are with us, through His Holy Spirit.
And that brings us back to our refresher course, Introduction to Holy Spirit 101, that we were doing yesterday. Then, we mentioned two prophecies of the Holy Spirit coming upon men at a later date, which happened when Jesus came and then returned to heaven. We quoted the prophecy from Ezekiel, so let’s see what the one from Jeremiah says. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts (minds), and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer. 31:31-34)
And all of that happened when Jesus came and did His thing, then returned to heaven. Glory Hallelujah! Yes friends, that New Covenant was made with Israel and with us Gentiles, so that we could be a part of the salvation story. And the major differences there was that animal sacrifices were no longer required to relieve the sins of the people, because Christ’s death had paid for ALL sins, and then the Holy Spirit, which hitherto had only appeared to or dealt with men on a one by one, every so often basis, is now, as the Lord promised, indwelling each believer, and allowing each one to know Him personally.
That’s the beauty of this new Comforter or Helper that Jesus prayed the Father to send. And it’s interesting to note that before ascending back to heaven, He told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, ‘but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of (from) me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5)
Now that must have been hard for the disciples to understand, because the Good Book tells us that ‘When they therefore were come together, (at the Mount of Olives) they (the disciples) asked him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times the Father hath put in his own power (authority). But ye shall receive power, after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both from Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’ (Acts 1:6-8)
Then Jesus was taken up into the clouds and they saw Him gradually disappear. Not like the other times after His resurrection when He suddenly appeared and then disappeared. This was an intimation that it was final. Although they might not have understood that at the time. But He would not show up to them again until His Second Coming. And like obedient disciples, they went back to Jerusalem to wait for the fateful moment, for the power of the Holy Ghost to fall on, to baptize them.
And we all know that this happened on the Day of Pentecost, when the whole church, about a hundred and twenty of them were in an upper room, ‘all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (languages), as the spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
Wow! What an occasion that must have been; a baptism of enormous significance in our Christian faith. That’s because prior to the coming of the Holy Ghost to indwell those first believers on that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit’s work had been done from without, (the Spirit came upon), and it was temporary, and only fell for exceptional reasons. However, after that Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit automatically indwells each and every believer. Once they come to faith, every believer receives the baptism of the Spirit.
But there’s an important difference we should all note, that’s between the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The scholars explain that ‘the baptism is permanent, happening once and for all. But the filling is not received by all believers and thus is ongoing, occurring continuously as seen in the present tense imperative of Ephesians 5:18: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.’ Yes my brethren we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that’s allow the Spirit to fill us with God’s own character, life and values, and not allow the devil to fill us with wine, so that we can live a godly not a dissipated life.
And that concludes our refresher course in the Introduction to Holy Spirit 101! Thanks for coming, but please note that that’s just an introductory course, (smile) now you have to do some studying on your own, first to assimilate all that we’ve spoken of, then reach the point where you can move on to a higher class on the subject. (smile) Now, for those of us truly interested in living for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now let’s get out there and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others! Much LOVE!
…don’t be contented with mere baptism of the Holy Spirit…but seek to be continually filled with the Spirit of God…for that’s where the abundant life is at…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
11 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sure recipe for hellfire and damnation, abide in me and I in you, all these things shall be added unto you, ask for patience, be not wise in thine own eyes, colourful camaraderie, Easter Tuesday, fly be the seat of your pants, Goat race in Buccoo, God is with us, hurry, I am the vine ye are the branches, in both the panful and good moments, lack of passion, lean not unto thine own understanding, let us pray, live high on the hog, LOVE, presence of mind, ride the difficult waves with God, seek first the kingdom of God, share His love with my neighbours, skip the hart parts of life, the beloved of God, The Lord is my shepherd, too much to bear, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Proverbs 3:5.Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
It’s Easter Tuesday friends, and the celebrations continue! And today, all roads are leading to the picturesque seaside town of Buccoo in sweet Tobago, for the latest edition of their fabulous day of goat racing. And would you believe that the goat races have become so popular over the years that they built a special stadium just to hold them. (smile) I believe though that it’s a multipurpose stadium, but goat racing was apparently the driving engine to build it. But like so many events that seem to have made progress, this new scenario has lost some of the spontaneity and passion. It’s well organized and everybody sits down and watches now.
Where it was previously though, in an open field between a group of houses, the passion and enthusiasm were sky high, as everyone stood on the sidelines right next to the racing strip. There were also crab races back then too. But the best part was that in several houses around the area a scintillating party would be happening: before, during and after the races, with the firewater making itself felt in the crowd. (smile) Those were the days though, when everything wasn’t so well organized and sometimes you flew by the seat of your pants, but that’s usually when you are more creative and enthusiastic.
And brother…it would certainly be nice to be in Tobago now, enjoying the sunshine and the cool sea breezes while relaxing in the calm, beautifully blue sea, feeling the amazing propensity it has for easing the stress and pain in my mature, less than flexible body, (smile) then going to the goat races to check out the food and the colourful camaraderie that’s a major part of the celebration. Now that’s what dreams are made of…but one day soon… one day soon…
However, today I want to share this short and simple but very interesting and to the point prayer I found in the March edition of the In Touch Daily devotional. It is simply titled, ‘Let Us Pray.’ So please do that with me. ‘Lord, sometimes I wish I could skip the hard parts of my life. Some days they’re just too much to bear. But I know you’re with me in the painful moments just as much as in the good ones. So today I ask for patience – to gently ride those difficult waves with You. For attentiveness – to look for You at unlikely turns. For presence of mind – to remember the highs and lows are both opportunities to be with You. Help me experience the richness of this life You created. Amen!’
Yes friends, it’s a simple prayer, but it touches all the important bases in our everyday lives – the patience, attentiveness and presence of mind. If we are solidly grounded in those three things we can’t go wrong, since they will keep us close to and in touch with out heavenly Father, and once we are ensconced in His righteousness and LOVE, everything else will be clear sailing. As Christ said so clearly in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And He means what He says. If you keep God first place in your life, then all the necessities of life will come your way. As Bruh David so succinctly and sweetly puts it: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) And is that ever the gospel truth my fellow believers! We won’t necessarily get rich, or live high on the hog, although that is certainly possible, but we’ll never face times of serious want. And a lot of times that we face a state of want, it’s because we’re not keeping God first place. These words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs 3, which we all know, but don’t properly follow, also reverberate with that wisdom.
He writes: ‘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 smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength, refreshment) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10)
Now what’s in those few short sentences that we don’t understand eh? They are as clear as day: Put your trust and faith in the Lord and not in your own strength, and life will go well with you. Both Cousin Sol and Bruh David are speaking from personal experiences. So, if they, who were frail and fragile men just like us, and even made many more serious mistakes than some of us will ever make, could do it and prosper, why can’t we eh? And it’s not like it’s rocket science; but simply trust and obedience. But no, we figure that with the gift of free will, we need to do stuff on our own, although we don’t have the power or knowledge to do half of what we want to do.
That’s why the Lord advises us to stick with Him. As Jesus also said so clearly. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) Now that should just about end the arguments. If we don’t abide in Jesus, that’s stick close to him, like white on rice, and He doesn’t abide in us, then crapaud smoke we pipe, because we can’t do much of anything without Him!
So my fellow saints, on this Easter Tuesday, or rather, all through this Easter season, let’s contemplate and consider our positions in Christ nuh. Are we abiding in Him, and He in us. If the answer is yes, then let’s hold on as tightly as possible and don’t ever let Him go, for that means certain disaster. And if the answer is no, then please, please make the conscious decision to begin abiding with Him, as soon as possible, right now will be best, because if you don’t, you have as much chance of enjoying eternal life, as a snowball has of surviving in hell!
Now, for those of us who are doing our best to abide in Christ, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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!’
It’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus is not easy…but living without Him…that’s a sure recipe for hellfire and damnation…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Apr 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, All to Jesus I surrender, as the bright shining light, be like lighthouses, be made the righteousness of God in Him, but the will of the Father who sent me, faithful believers in Jesus, fighting to shed Jesus' awesome light, God hath made him to be sin for us, harmless and blameless, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I will ever love and trust you, in god's eyes, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, in your presence daily live, Jesus rises triumphantly from the grave, LOVE, not my will but thine, rejoice victoriously on Easter Sunday, share His love with my neighbours, that snineth more and more, the path of the just, to guarantee His promise of everlasting life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto the perfect day, worry, Ye are the light of the world, ye shine as lights in the world
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
It’s a wet and cloudy Holy Tuesday morning, but like all good Christians, the sun is valiantly fighting to shine its light on this dark and evil world. Oh friends, I do hope we can all be numbered amongst that group of good and faithful believers in Christ Jesus who are desperately fighting to shed His awesome light, through our witness and discipleship, over this ungodly, resentful and selfish society in which we currently live.
Remember, that was one of His most ardent desires in His Sermon on the Mount, where He laid out His world-changing philosophy. He said, in no uncertain terms: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.’ (Matt. 5:14) And that’s what His faithful followers ought to be like, a city set on a hill, whose bright light is shining all around, for all to see. In other words, we are to be like lighthouses, shining for miles and miles around, giving light to all the human ships that are navigating the dark and evil waters of this ungodly human existence.
That brings us to the words of Cousin Sol, who, as the wisest man ever, had a word on every topic. (smile). He wisely opined on the topic of light: ‘But the path of the just is as the (bright) shining light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov. 4:18)
Oh my people, that’s exactly how our light for Jesus ought to shine in this dark and evil world; brighter and brighter, especially in this Holy Week when we are about to celebrate one of our lowest days in Good Friday, when Jesus is crucified on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins, though we will rejoice victoriously on Easter Sunday, when he rises triumphantly from the grave to guarantee His promise of everlasting life to all who believe in Him!
Wow mih bredrin! How awesome is our Jesus! What a prize fighter He is! No one, or nothing can stop His ever-rolling course to glory and His magnificent kingdom of the ages that He’s so faithfully promised to all who faithfully believe in Him!
And why does Jesus want us to be lights in this dark world? Because if we are His followers, then we ought to follow His example, and He categorically stated during His time here on earth: ‘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 if you believe in Jesus, then you will follow Him and be a light in this darkness that we’re living in, like He was a light for us when He came to earth to show us the true glory of God!
And as Bruh Paul concurs when he writes to the church at Philippi, re shining as lights in the world: ‘That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil. 2:15)
Yes my fellow believers, our witness for Christ ought to be shining and without fault. Now that doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes, because we are frail and fragile humans, and that’s a normal part of our nature, but when we give out for Jesus, there’ll be substance, sincere action to our words, meaning that people will see the good fruit that we bear, through the Holy Spirit of Christ.
For as Jesus continued in His sermon on the Mount: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand), and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your heavenly Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:15-16)
Oh friends, please note Jesus’ desire there was for us to glorify our heavenly Father, not Him, because that’s all He was about here on earth; listening to the Father and doing the Father’s will. As He said: ‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous), because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.’ (John 5:30)
Yes my people, we often forget that it was because of the Father’s desire to save His human creation that Jesus came to earth to suffer and be eventually crucified. That’s the high level of LOVE and obedience that He had towards the Father. And it could not be more ardently and stoically declared (awright!!!) than when Jesus was going through that tough time in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, when His soul was sorrowful and His heart heavy, and He unsuccessfully sought a reprieve from the Father, but obediently concluded: ‘nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ (Luke 22: 39 b)
Oh, how I wish that our level of LOVE and obedience could be that high towards Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, who so selflessly, altruistically and generously gave His sinless life to save our sinful ones. Please, please my fellow saints, let’s never forget these heartbreaking, but also joyful words that Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. ‘For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21)
And that was no easy burden to bear, but Jesus bore it stoically for our sakes, so let’s see if we can’t show Him some honour and glory for His selfless deeds on our behalf, by doing what He desires, being a bright and shining light in this dark world. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) 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 having made that declaration (yesss!!!) let’s go out now and indeed share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
… All to Jesus, I surrender…All to Thee I freely give…I will ever LOVE and trust You…In Your presence daily live…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a betrayal of trust, an infantile mistake, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive others, be willing to put in the effort, been harshly bullied, emotinally and conatively hobbled, extending mercy, for our benefit, forgiveness, forgiveness doesn't come easy, forgiveness is a cardinal rule of Christianity, God commendeth his own love toward us, gone off my rocker, hold on to hurt, humble apologies, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, let go of anger and resentment, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mortal and thus fallible, one of the most important aspects of Christianity, relationships suffer, share His love with my neighbours, strong medicine for healing deep wounds, the beloved of God, the devil does as the devil does, the right tools, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, victims of crime, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, worry, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And then it was a sunshiny spring Tuesday morning. Yes friends, today is indeed sunshiny. Yesterday wasn’t, although that’s what I wrote. Ah Lord eh! The devil does as the devil does yes! Yesterday was a rainy day, but somehow or the other I wrote that it was sunshiny. And it wasn’t that I didn’t see and experience the rain first hand and didn’t read the Bit after I had written it. The problem was that I had begun writing the Bit before the rain started, so since it was nice and dry then, and the day before had ended up sunny, I assumed that yesterday was also going to be sunny, thinking that I’d rewrite the opening if it turned out differently.
And it did turn out differently. But I didn’t rewrite the opening. Steups! And was I ever flabbergasted when I discovered the error after sending out the Bit. That’s why I don’t like prewriting anything. I’m sure my Scrip-Bit family living in my area must have wondered if I’d gone off my rocker, because the sun was nowhere to be seen. (smile) Now, I might be headed in that direction, but I promise you, I’ve not reached that far as yet. So, my most humble apologies for such an infantile mistake. And thank you ever so much for forgiving me. It only means that the ole fella is mortal and thus fallible. (smile)
And I guess that since we’re on the topic of forgiveness, we might as well stay there, because forgiveness is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. And what is forgiveness? It can mean different things to different people, but it’s basically to let go of anger and resentment on being hurt or offended. But here is a good explanation from an article on the topic by Robert Enright, from the Greater Good Magazine website.
He writes: ‘Forgiveness can be incredibly difficult. When another person hurts us, it can upend our lives. Sometimes the hurt is very deep, such as when a spouse or a parent betrays our trust, or when we are victims of crime, or when we’ve been harshly bullied. Anyone who has suffered a grievous hurt knows that when our inner world is badly disrupted, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything other than our turmoil or pain. When we hold on to hurt, we are emotionally and cognitively hobbled, and our relationships suffer.
Forgiveness is strong medicine for this. When life hits us hard, there is nothing as effective as forgiveness for healing deep wounds. I would not have spent the last 30 years of my life studying forgiveness if I were not convinced of this. Many people have misconceptions about what forgiveness really means—and they may eschew it. Others may want to forgive, but wonder whether or not they truly can. Forgiveness does not necessarily come easily; but it is possible for many of us to achieve, if we have the right tools and are willing to put in the effort.’
And right there is the crux of the problem: having the tools and being willing to put in the effort. And if we call ourselves Christian, believers in Christ, then we have the tools and we better had have the effort, or else our witness will be immaterial and be burned up in the time of judgement like it was based on straw, hay or stubble. And why is that you ask? Because forgiveness is one of the very tenets on which our Christian faith is based. Christ came to earth specifically to die to pay for our sins, so that we could be forgiven by our heavenly Father, and thus be reconciled to Him, once again become sheep in His fold.
And Jesus said quite clearly in His teaching on prayer, when He gave the disciples and us a sample of what our prayer ought to be like, what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ In the midst of it He stated: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) Now why would Jesus put something like that in there eh? Because as we just said, it’s of the utmost importance in our faith. And after the prayer, He showed us why. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6: 14-15)
Yes, my fellow believers, it‘s as simple as that. If we don’t forgive those who hurt us, our heavenly Father won’t forgive us. He’s made it a cardinal rule of His kingdom. In other words, He’s saying, if I can LOVE you so much, want to forgive your abominable sins so much, that I can break my heart to send my only Son to die in your place, then the least you can do is to also forgive those who hurt you. And yes, it’s all based on the mighty, unconditional LOVE of the Father, for us, His sinful children. Bruh Paul puts it best when he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes, He didn’t wait for us to come to him, He came to us. That demonstrates great LOVE! And LOVE is the main tool we have to use in forgiveness. That’s LOVING God, ourselves and our neighbours enough to forgive. And these two paragraphs from that article by Robert Enright quoted above, show us how important the act of forgiveness is, especially to us.
He says: ‘Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who’ve harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a non-linear fashion. But it’s well worth the effort. Working on forgiveness can help us increase our self-esteem and give us a sense of inner strength and safety. It can reverse the lies that we often tell ourselves when someone has hurt us deeply—lies like, I am defeated or I’m not worthy. Forgiveness can heal us and allow us to move on in life with meaning and purpose. Forgiveness matters, and we will be its primary beneficiary.’
Yes friends, when we forgive, we are the main beneficiary; our souls start to heal, we become more mature, and the Lord forgives us. We can’t ask for a better result than that. So please, let’s get on with the forgiving of others and ourselves nuh, cause it’s all for our benefit, and it pleases our heavenly Father! And for those of us who are sincerely working on it, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one 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!’
Now let’s go out and do just that nuh: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…as always…whatever God tells us to do…it’s for our benefit…He’s said to forgive…so let’s forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . bickering over petty matters, and glorify your Father in heaven, baptizing them in the name of the Father, be cast out, but of power love and a sound mind, can't live for Christ without salt and light, Christ's mission to save the world, church disunity, divide and conquer, doing God's will, evil doing, fear not, get back our salt and light, God has not given us a spirit of fear, good for nothing, good to be alive, Herculean task, holy spirit, hurry, in god's eyes, invaluable inroads, lead and guide us in all truth, Lenten season, Let your light so shine before men, light a candle and put it under a bushel, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, Satan's power on earth, send faith to answer it, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the salt lost it's savour (flavour), they may see your good works, trodden under foot of men, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, when fear comes a-calling, worry, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Oh my people, it’s so good to be alive on this bright and sunshiny Tuesday morning, despite the chill in the air! There’s something about the shining sun that awakens, or raises up good vibes in our souls and spirits. I guess it’s just the goodness of our great and generous God that comes to the forefront when we see the sun. (smile) That’s why we need to offer a few words of thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness to us, His undeserving children.
So please pray with me. ‘Lord, we give you thanks for allowing us to see another day on this earth, confused and ungodly as it might be. We ask for the grace and wisdom to allow your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us as we go about our daily tasks, doing your will and not ours. Help us to make a godly difference in our chaotic world. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, do we ever need God’s grace and wisdom to be able to make a dent in the stranglehold that the enemy currently has on our world. I don’t know if evil and ungodliness has ever been so pervasive all over the globe as it now is. But it’s our job, as followers of Jesus to help turn that most undesirable situation around. And since evil is so prevalent, I know you’re wondering how we might accomplish such an apparently Herculean task.
Well, the first thing to realize is that we can’t change it completely or soon, because the power of Satan on earth here is enormous. But we can make valuable inroads into the evil doing both on a small individual scale as well as on a larger scale as the church of Christ. As the communal church we cannot do a whole lot until we are united and not separated and bickering over mostly petty matters.
And the enemy is using our disunity as a weapon against us, the usual divide and conquer routine. We are fighting amongst ourselves more than against the enemy, and if we spend our resources in internal struggle, then there won’t be much left to fight externally. Now, bringing the church back together is a huge task, which will take time and a lot of serious effort because it’s so divided. But we don’t have to wait for that to happen since individually we can also make a difference.
Yes friends, as individuals, we simply need to go about our business in our neighbourhoods in a godly manner, be the salt and light that Christ desires us to be. Let’s recall His words, so that they can remind us of our duty. As is His wont, He explained the situation quite simply and clearly, when He said: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt. 5:13)
And sadly, my fellow believers, for whatever reason or reasons, many of us have indeed lost our salty flavour and are of absolutely no use whatsoever to God’s kingdom. We’ve lost the zeal and passion we once had for Christ, through fear, unfortunate personal situations, or just simple laziness and lack of interest. And men are indeed figuratively trodding us underfoot because of our lacklustre Christian witness. But let’s remember Bruh Paul’s immortal advice and assurance to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Now that ought to keep us grounded and rooted in the power of God. And if, or most likely, when fear does come calling, we send faith to answer it’s call. Jesus said it several times, ‘Fear not, Fear not!’ And He wrapped it up with these mighty words of reassurance. ‘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 I know that’s sound good in theory, but it’s not always easy to do in real life, but when we do encounter fear, then we need to go to God and ask for His help, not just sit around moping, and wallow in the mire of fear.
So, my fellow believers, it’s of the utmost importance that we regain our saltiness, regain that beautiful flavour we had for Christ, because He also said that ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Unfortunately too my brethren, we seem to have also lost our light, so obviously we cannot shine for Christ. How sad it is that so many of Christ’s followers have lost both their salt and their light! What then is to become of Christ’s Great Commission eh? Where we are to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that Jesus taught us? (Matt. 28:19-20)
It’s obvious that we can’t do it if we’ve lost both our salty flavour and our bright shining Christian light. Consequently, Christ’s mission to save the world is not doing as well as it ought to, since we, His missionaries and ambassadors, agents and disciples are not doing the job we have signed up to do. That’s why the evil enemy has such vast power on the earth.
So today friends, I’m asking, pleading with us to get back our salt and light, so that we can do the work we pledged to do when we became Christians. That means replenishing, refreshing, renewing our acquaintance with our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, then allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in all truth. And there’s no better time for this awakening than in this season of Lent, the time our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying, preparing for His earthly ministry. All heaven would be joyful if we sincerely renewed our commitment to Christ.
And for those of us who have already done that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and action those statements, by sharing the LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…without salt and light…we cannot truly live for Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and the power of his resurrection, being made conformable to his death, die more to sin and self, divine commendation, for the prize of the high calling of God, forgetting those things which are behind, God's new mercies and compassions, guidance of His Holy Spirit, hurry, I press toward the mark, in God's eyes, in hot pursuit of his goal, LOVE, made like Jesus, maturing in the things of Christ, nipping at our heels, predestinate to be conformed of His son, reaching forth unto those things that are before, refuse to be pulled down by past guilt, rest on past laurels, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual disaster, that I may know him, the beloved of God, the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation, the fellowship of his sufferings, the joyful personal satisfaction, the newness of life, the resurrection of the dead, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, well done my good and faithful servant, worry
Philippians 3:10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death.
And when Tuesday opens bright and sunshiny, though somewhat cold and windy, we just forget all the difficulties we experienced on Monday! Yes, we do. We move on to this new day filled with God’s new mercies and compassions, giving Him grateful thanks and praise for all the undeserved goodness and LOVING-kindness He’s wrought in our lives through His awesome Son, Jesus Christ and the amazing work, direction and guidance of His Holy Spirit!
Wow! What a most wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! And I do hope we truly appreciate Him and do show our appreciation and gratitude by the way we live our lives; that’s in keeping with His Word and His Will. And that sentiment about moving forward reminds me of Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Philippi, where in talking to them about perfection in Christ, that’s maturing in the things of Christ, which is his stated goal, and should also be ours, he says: ‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.’ (Phil. 3:10-11)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul is desirous of attaining a literal as well as figurative resemblance to Christ. He wants to personally know Him, to share in His sufferings as well as His death. The scholars explain it thus: ‘Paul is eager to become more like Jesus in His death (vs. 10) so that he can (1) progressively experience more of the believer’s resurrection life to be enjoyed now (“newness of life,” Rom:6:4), and (2) some day undergo physical resurrection from the grave, thus experiencing God’s power in one of its greatest aspects.’
And that certainly is a most worthwhile objective for all believers. One though that is not very easy to attain. But Bruh Paul recognizes this when he says: ‘Not as though I had already attained (obtained it), either were already perfect: but I follow after (press on), if that I may apprehend (lay hold of) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:12) Bruh Paul denies that he’s already obtained the goal of fully knowing Christ and all that’s included in that knowledge.
The scholars tell us: ‘At this point in his life the apostle does know Christ, but not to the full extent possible. He has experienced His power, but not to the degree he desires. He has been made like Jesus in His death, but he can still die more to sin and self. He does walk “in newness of life,” but there is room for improvement. And he is in hot pursuit of his goal.’
Oh, how I wish that could be said of many more of us believers; that we’re in hot pursuit of Christ and the things which pertain to Him. Unfortunately though, His church is filled with too many lacklustre Christians. Too many of us lack the salt and light Jesus desires us to have so that we can pursue His agenda of spreading the good news of His gospel of salvation and eternal life.
Anyway, Bruh Paul, as always, with his practical mind, offers us a practical avenue to help us accomplish our spiritual goal of knowing Christ. He continues in his letter to the Philippians.: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (laid hold of perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth (forward) unto those things which are before (ahead). I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high (upward) calling of God in Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Now, that’s how we should also be in the fight to know Christ. None of us are perfect, have attained maturity in the things of Christ, but we cannot move forward unless and until we let go of the baggage we’ve accumulated in our past life. According to the scholars, when Bruh Paul talks about ‘Those things which are behind,’ he’s referring to both his religious credentials (vs.5-6), now counted as “loss” (vs. 7), and to his past Christian achievements and successes. In ever pursuing his goal to know Christ (vs. 10), he refuses to let past guilt put him down, or to rest on past laurels. Either could spell spiritual disaster.’
And the same goes for us to day friends. Hanging on to our past guilt, or resting on our laurels from past achievements will inhibit us from moving forward in our objective or the ‘mark’ of getting to know Christ more fully. So those are things we desperately need to work on, especially in these turbulent times when we need our faith to be strong, and to grow stronger as the days seem to get progressively more evil and lawless.
And when we press on towards that ‘mark,’ with conscious purpose and perseverance, we will eventually win the ‘prize.’ The scholars tell us that’s ‘the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. And The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
Oh my fellow saints, that is a major purpose of our earthly life, to become like Christ. Remember God’s intention as written by Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘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)
Yes friends, from the very beginning, the Father dreamed of, imagined a household of children that all resembled His first-born Son, Jesus Christ! But that doesn’t come automatically, we have to work at it, seriously and with perseverance, for the enemy is always there nipping at our heels, playing games and tricks with our minds, trying to divert us from that awesome goal of becoming like Christ. But we do have the tools to fight him off, we just have to learn how to use them, then put that knowledge into action.
And for those of us who are sincerely moving along those lines, let’s go home now declaring, (wow!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and action those words, 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!
…there’s no better commendation…than to hear Christ say…well done my good and faithful servant…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, beloved of God, but have everlasting life, but of power love and a sound mind, child's play, contrary one to the other, fear hath torment, feel awed or intimidated, fight mano a mano, God has not given us a spirit of fear, God so loved the world, greater love hath no man than this, he gave his only begotten son, he that feareth is not made perfect in love, hurry, in God's eyes, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, love is the antidote to fear, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, perfect love casteth out fear, share His love with my neighbours, tcarnal nature, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the antidote to fear, the dustbin of history, the flesh and the Spirit are natural enemies, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, there is no fear in love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk in the Spirit, watch and pray, worry, ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
And now that we’ve skillfully handled intimidating Monday, kicked it into the dustbin of history, (smile) it’s time to turn our attention to easy-going Tuesday, that’s opened up bright and sunshiny though somewhat chilly and windy. And isn’t it surprising that after we’ve been through Monday, all the other days of the week seem like child’s play.
That’s apparently because it’s the first day of work after a break, and the first of anything usually brings a li’l doubt, trepidation and fear. But since the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind, (2 Tim. 1:7) we don’t have to feel awed or intimidated by anything that comes against us, even for the very first time!
And if we remember these words of assurance from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, life won’t seem as fearful and intimidating. He says it very calmy and reassuringly: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as he world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Yes friends, the enemy is always trying to induce or introduce fear into our daily doings, but with Jesus as our solid foundation, the rock on which we’ve built our lives, we have a most potent antidote to the enemy’s wiles and evil schemes. And what’s that antidote you ask? Listen as John describes it in his first epistle. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Oh my people, the great antidote to fear is LOVE; the LOVE of God, which caused Him to send His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on that old rugged cross so that we could be saved from our sins. That LOVE for us was so powerful that our Creator could not resist the call to save us. And Jesus states it so clearly and plainly in this scripture that we all know so well. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now that’s the measure of God’s LOVE for us His disobedient and lawless children! The Lord must certainly have had a heart bursting, overflowing with compassion for us to do such a revolutionary and unexpected thing. And Jesus confirms the powerful effect that LOVE has, with these immortal words to the disciples. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He went out and laid down His sinless life for those He considered His friends.
But please note how you get into that category of friendship with Christ. He said: ‘Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you to do.’ (John 15:14) So you see, to be a true friend of and to Jesus necessitates doing whatsoever He commands us to do. And that’s not always easy, convenient or even makes a lot of sense. But His command is His command, and He won’t command us to do something and then not give us the grace or the anointing to do it. So, even if the command seems farfetched, and out of this world, His divine help will enable us to do it.
Now that’s where our faith comes in: believing in Him enough to do whatever seems hard, or unreasonable, be willing to make the sacrifice that it entails to be a true disciple of His. And that’s where so many of us fall down. As the old saying goes, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Jesus Himself stated it to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, when they couldn’t stay awake and watch with Him. ‘What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41)
And indeed, so often we sincerely desire to do stuff, but just can’t dredge up the energy, the fleshly energy to do it. We need to do like Jesus says though, ‘watch and pray that we enter not into temptation,’ because it’s at our weakest, most tired moments that the tempter comes a calling, and when we are most vulnerable to his advances. That’s why in his epistle to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul could write: ‘For that which I do I allow not (don’t understand): for what I would (want to do),that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.’ (Rom. 7:15)
Yes my brethren, we all suffer from the temptations of the flesh, our basic carnal nature, and oftentimes find ourselves doing the stuff we don’t want to do, while not doing the right stuff we desire to do. And that controversy between our flesh and our godly spirit will always be there while we’re alive on this earth, and thus we need to fight it mano a mano, each and every day.
And that’s why Bruh Paul advised us re the works of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill 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 ye would. But if ye be led of the spirit, ye are not under the law (carnal mind).’ (Gal. 5:16-18)
Ah my fellow believers, it’s a constant struggle to fight off the desires of the flesh, some of which Bruh Paul listed in Gal. 5:19-21, then goes on to list the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23. I’d strongly suggest we take some time today to refresh our minds on those two subjects, since they play a very big part in our lives, and manifest if we are truly living for Jesus.
Now, for those of us who are doing our best in that direction, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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!’
Now let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like do! Much LOVE!
…the flesh and the Spirit are natural enemies…but with God’s help…our spirit can certainly win…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all signs point to Jesus' imminent return, apostasy, as the days of Noah were, be ready, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, for an helmet, God hath not appointed us to wrath, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in God's eyes, Jesus' return is unpredictable, lawlessness, let us not sleep as do others, let us watch and be sober (self-controlled), life threatening conditions, like a woman in travail, live as children of light, lock stock and barrel, magnificent resurrection, now it is high time to awake out of sleep, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, potential nuclear annihilation, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, sacrificial death, share His love with my neighbours, so cometh as a thief in the night, so shall the coming of the Son of man be, sudden destruction cometh upon them, the children of light, the children of the day, the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the hope of salvation, the one world church, the Rapture of Christ's church, the snow mash we up, the state of always being ready, to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, white as snow, worry, yourselves know perfectly
1 Thessalonians 5:2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Well friends, the snow mash we up yesterday afternoon, and caused havoc throughout the town! Can you imagine what the evening commute home was like? Brother! It’s a good thing I cancelled an afternoon doctor’s appointment in the big city of T.O, otherwise I would have been caught in the havoc, and at my time of life, I don’t need that nonsense. (smile)
The weather forecasters had predicted a big one, and this one was fair-sized and upon us quite quickly. I remember looking out my window mid-afternoon, and there was no sign of the impending storm, but an hour later, the place was white as snow. (smile) Yes, when it came, it came quickly, like a thief in the night, and heavily too. And that’s how Jesus said He will be coming back, so we had better be prepared if we want to be raised to meet Him in the clouds, or what we call the Rapture of Christ’s church.
Jesus said that only God knows the time of His return. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Matt. 24:36-39)
Yes, my fellow believers, Jesus’ return is so unpredictable that it could happen today, tomorrow or two thousand years in the future. It’s so up in the air, that Bruh Paul told the Roman church: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first ) believed).’ (Rom. 13:11) Truly, our salvation is indeed nearer than when we first believed, and every day it draws closer. But that was some two thousand years ago, Bruh Paul wrote those words. And we’re still waiting for Christ to return.
That’s how indeterminate it is. Only the Father knows…And He’s not telling. That means we should be prepared for it to happen at any time…even right now! Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Oh friends, I cannot overstate the importance of being ready for whenever Jesus returns, because it will indeed be like a thief in the night. He said: ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ (Matt. 24:40-41) That means that it will all happen unexpectedly and very quickly, which necessitates the state of always being ready. However, the scholars list some conditions that suggest the Rapture might happen soon…just how soon though? No one knows.
But here’s the list. (1) Israel’s return to the Promised Land. (I believe that happened in 1948). (2) The obvious acceleration of lawlessness. (3) The increase of apostasy – that’s turning away from God. (1 Tim. 4:1) (4) The socio-religious climate preparing for the one world church. (5) The rapid acceleration of life-threatening conditions – such as potential nuclear annihilation, population explosion, and pollution – that require Christ’s return before events run their natural course and terminate the world. Paul listed certain conditions which, though true in every age, appear to be more prevalent today (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
And that’s the indisputable truth. All the stuff Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy is indeed happening in great prevalence. Therefore, as the Christians in Thessalonica lived in expectation of Christ’s imminent return, all Christians ought to live the same way today. Yes, the Thessalonians lived in great expectation after reading Bruh Paul’s words. ‘But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail (labour pains) upon a woman with child (pregnant woman); and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled).
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober (self-controlled), putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should lie together with him.’ (1 Thess. 5:1-10)
And isn’t that the glorious truth my fellow saints! The Father has made provision for us to be taken out of the darkness into the marvellous light of His Son, Jesus Christ, therefore we ought to live as children of light, walking in His awesome LOVE and sharing the message of salvation and eternal life that He’s provided through His sacrificial death and magnificent resurrection! So, let’s get it together today nuh my people, and begin living like we ought to, as children of God and of light, with great expectations of Jesus‘ return, ready and waiting for whenever that momentous occasion occurs.
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s get out there and do just that: 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!
…all the signs point to Jesus’ imminent return…please, please be ready for whenever it happens…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a strong and resolute spirit, a time of spiritual cleansing, a voluntary total abstinence from food, bounden duty, by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, dash thy foot against a stone, endured relentless temptation, fasting, forty days in the wilderness, get thee hence Satan, him only shalt thou serve, hunker down with the Good Library, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, in whom I am well pleased, it is written, Jesus was led up of the spirit, Lent, LOVE, man shall not live by bread alone, share His love with my neighbours, this is my beloved Son, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, to be tempted of the devil, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, use scripture to rebut Satan's temptations, weak and willing flesh, worry
Matthew 4:7. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.
And it’s a cloudy Tuesday morning after our Family Day holiday, with a winter storm on the horizon. But let’s hope that we used yesterday to rebuild the dying embers of the family unit that’s oh so important to the smooth, safe and steady running of our society, and not simply as a day to party hearty. But yuh better believe that a lot of hearty partying will going on in places like Brazil and T&T because today is the biggest, as well as the last day of the Carnival festival, and everybody will come out to play their biggest and best mas today. For come tomorrow that sacrificing, self-denying season of Lent begins.
And it never ceases to amaze and amuse me how one day we have no qualms about anything, anything goes, then next day, we so pious and holy and trying to be like Jesus as He spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying. Now, the sad thing is that I’ve been hearing that many people no longer even celebrate or recognize the Lenten season; every day is just like any other. What’s next eh?
At least with Lent in our spirits, we had some vestige of God still remaining, but when you remove that too, then there’s nothing at all. Oh, we do celebrate Easter and Christmas, but even those celebrations have become so commercialized and secular that many supposed believers don’t even pay much attention to the spiritual aspects, but like the unbelievers use them as simply another chance to get their jollies on.
And why is Lent so important to believers eh? Because it’s a time of spiritual cleansing of removing ourselves from all the frivolity and idolatry of the world. A lot of Lenten activity is based on fasting, but I believe the most important aspect is actually seeking God during those times of fasting. Fasting by itself means nothing. As one commentator on the Got questions.org website puts it: ‘Fasting is a practice found throughout Scripture. A fast in the Bible is usually a voluntary, total abstinence from food for a set time for the purpose of devoting oneself to seeking God. Fasting denies our flesh what it wants so that we can focus more clearly on strengthening our spirits.’
And therein lies the rub: just denying the flesh doesn’t automatically bring God closer. It has to be a conscious decision to turn to God during those times of turning away from fleshly pursuits. And there is no better example of that than Jesus, who, as soon as He was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, and He heard the voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,’ (Matt. 3:17) was immediately led away, by none other than the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to fast and be tempted by the devil.
The Bible tells us: ‘Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.’ (Matt. 4:1) Can you imagine that? One minute being feted as being a wonderful Son, then next sent to endure severe hunger and temptation. But there was good reason for Jesus’ fasting and temptations. It was preparing Him for his public ministry and all the tough times He would have to undergo while thus involved.
And I like how the Got questions.Org commentator explains it. He says: ‘During those forty days, when Jesus’ flesh was at its weakest, He endured relentless temptation from Satan. Satan offered Him alternatives to God’s plan, compromises that would satisfy His natural desires, and attacks upon His very identity as the Son of God (Matt.4:3). Jesus used the Word of God, not His own strength, to defeat those temptations and remain victorious over sin. He demonstrated for us that fasting can strengthen us spiritually when we use it to draw closer to God.’
Now that’s the basic benefit of fasting; giving up some of the flesh to help us draw closer to God. When there’s not a whole lot of fleshly stuff bothering us, then we can indeed get closer to our heavenly Father. And believe me it’s ever so important to do that on a regular basis. I’m not talking about just regular praying, but times when we get downright spiritual, so hungry for the things of God, that we just drop everything else and sincerely go searching for Him. That’s when we lay out our whole heart and soul before Him; empty ourselves and ask Him to cleanse, to rejuvenate us, to heal our brokenness, and give us new strength and faith to keep on keeping on in His holy will.
And there’s one very important thing to note about Jesus’s time of fasting and temptation. When the devil tempted Him, He quoted the scriptures in rebuttal. For example, when Satan commanded Him to make bread out of the stones, He simply replied: ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4) Now that scripture can be found in Deut. 4:3.
Then, when the devil took Him up to a pinnacle of the temple and told Him: ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt (test) the Lord thy God.’ (Matt. 4:6-7) And that can be found in Deut. 6:16.
Now that’s the way we ought to counter the devil’s temptations, with cutting words of scripture, then He leaves us alone for a spell, but only for a spell, because once we’re alive, he’ll keep coming back with more temptations. He doesn’t give up, and neither should we.
Note what the Bible says after the devil took Jesus up on a high hill and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and promised them to him, if He would bow down and worship him. Jesus staunchly reprimanded him. ‘Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Matt. 4:10-11) And again that answer of Jesus can be found in either Deut. 6:13, or 10:20.
But friends, we cannot get rid of the devil for a spell with scripture unless we know the scriptures. That’s why it’s ever so important to read, meditate and learn them. And I believe that this Lenten season is an excellent time for us to hunker down with the Good Library and devour its monumental wisdom. It will do us more good than we can ever ask or imagine!
Now, for those of us who are sincerely on board with Jesus, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one 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 it’s now our bounden duty to go out and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the weak and willing flesh…must be countered by a strong and resolute spirit…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ingrates, all these things shall be added unto you, all thy works shall praise thee, another economic celebration, as far as the east is from the west, for without me ye can do nothing, Happy Valentine's Day, he delivered them out of their distresses, he hath removed our transgressions, hearts set for God, his mercy endureth for ever, his tender mercies are over all his works, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine ye are the branches, in god's eyes, in Jesus all our fears are quelled, in Jesus all our hopes and dreams come alive, like a father pitieth his children, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, making a real difference to our world, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, plenteous in mercy, revert to godly order and righteous state, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, slow to anger, speak of the glory of thy kingdom, surface fluff, the darkness and ignorance of Satan, the glorious majesty of his kingdom, the godly attribute of love, the Lord is good to all, the Lord is merciful and gracious, their soul fainted in them, they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, thy saints shall bless thee, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, understand our sorry plight, worry
John 15:5b. …for without me ye can do nothing.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
So, it’s another bright, sunshiny and fairly warm day, this Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, in the middle of February 2023. And though today is a day where we tout the godly attribute of LOVE, sadly our world is still on its roller coaster ride down to the depths of Hades, with disasters aplenty, both natural and manmade, with strife, anger, wars, rumours of wars and all the negative stuff that a fallen and godless world can dream up.
This day of supposed LOVE spreading has turned into another economic celebration. All the flowers, chocolates and the many other presents bought and given seem to be only surface fluff and doesn’t truly represent the LOVE of God. It’s very sad that the Lord’s greatest creation has a heart for His enemy and not for Him. Can you imagine the many wondrous things we could accomplish and the truly beautiful world we could be living in if our hearts were set for God rather than for Satan? And for some reason or other, possibly the darkness and ignorance that Satan’s trying to keep us in, we simply can’t seem to understand our sorry plight and get up and do something about it.
Oh, some of us do understand, that’s the body called the church of Christ. But even then, not enough of us are willing to get up and throw down the evil values of the enemy, so that our once beautiful world can regain some of its lost beauty. And that’s rather unfortunate, for if we believers, we supposed Christians, so-called followers of Christ, truly got up and made the noise and did the awesome things of which we are most certainly capable, especially with the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling within us, then the enemy wouldn’t stand a chance, and our world would revert to some kind of godly order and righteous state.
But too many of us seem either afraid of the evil-doers, or are just too lethargic and lazy to care. We’re still seeking the material things of the world, rather than the righteousness of God’s kingdom. And once the materialism of the world invades our consciousness, we seem to lose the affinity we should be having towards God. Thus, it makes Jesus, our Lord and Saviour’s teaching of no account, where He strongly advises: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes, friends, please remember that our God created the universe and all therein, and all of it still belongs to Him, it’s all under His control, and whatever you manage to get, all comes from Him. And with His omniscience, He knows what you need, before you even do, and will give it to you without the heartache and heartbreak of trying to earn them in your own strength. That’s the fatal mistake so many of us make; failing to realize that our God is a good God and only desires the best for us, for those who follow Him in all reverence, sincerity and truth.
What aspects of these bible verses don’t we comprehend eh? ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’ (Ps. 145:9-12)
Oh my fellow saints, are we doing those things: speaking highly of God’s goodness and mercy, the glory of His kingdom and His awesome power? Are we making known to the sons of men his mighty acts? Definitely not to the extent that we should! Not to the extent where it’s making a real difference to our world! Too many of us are afraid to even speak of Jesus in private, much less to acknowledge Him in public. So what do we expect from the unbelievers eh, but unbelief!
And what about these awesome words of encouragement from Psalm 107 eh? ‘O, Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men.’ (Ps. 107:1-8)
Now that’s what we need to be doing so much more of: praising the Lord for His amazing and undeserved LOVING-KINDNESS towards a bunch of ingrates, so that the world can wake up and understand, appreciate and firmly believe in Him! And then there are these ever faithful, encouraging and moving words from Psalm 103.
‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:8-14)
Unfortunately though, we beings created from the dust of the earth don’t seem to remember that. We arrogantly, pridefully and ever so foolishly behave like we are the creators. That’s what happens when you’re given free will and you accomplish a li’l something, wrongly thinking that you did it on your own. Please friends, let’s remember that we can do nothing on our own. Jesus stated that quite plainly when He said: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) What part of that don’t we supposed believers understand eh?
And let’s hope and pray that those scriptures we’ve read today will make a substantial difference in our lives, or simply wake us up to the sad reality of the situation our world is facing, and that we have the ability to make a godly and meaningful difference to it. Now for those of us who are sincerely doing our best to bring some good changes to our world, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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!’
Now let’s go out and do exactly that: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Jesus…all our fears are quelled…in Jesus…all our hopes and dreams come alive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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