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 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
24 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joyful mother of children, all other ground is sinking sand, all praise and glory to our Redeemer, ask in faith nothing wavering, ask of God that giveth liberally, begin each day with a word of thanks, build our lives on the rock that's Christ, children are an heritage of the Lord, driven with the wind and tossed, except the Lord build the house, happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, he maketh the barren woman to keep house, he that keepeth thee shall neither slumber nor sleep, he that wavereth is like a wave, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if any of you lack wisdom, in Christ the solid rock we stand, in god's eyes, LOVE Revolution, my help cometh from the Lord, share His love with my neighbours, spend time with God every day, the antidote for instability is Jehovah God, the fruit of the womb is his reward, the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, they labour in vain that build it, they shall not be ashamed, they shall speak with the enemies in the gate, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without reproach, worry
Psalm 127:1a. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
And after a somewhat wet and slippery Monday, Tuesday has turned out be of a somewhat indeterminate character; a weak sunshine with cloud cover. My computer terms it haze. (smile) But however it finally turns out, it will be okay once we have Jesus first and foremost in our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. All praise and glory to our wonderful Redeemer!
Hope we have all been in touch with Him already for the day, asking for His faithful help and guidance through the rough waters of our lives. Please remember my fellow believers that it’s essential, of the utmost importance to begin each and every day with a word of thanks, praise and gratitude to our most worthy Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, if we expect to receive His awesome help on our daily journey. The length of time we spend with Him is not as important as the fact that we do spend time with Him every morning we open our eyes to a new day.
And as I was just skimming through the Good Library, I came upon this critical verse of scripture re labouring in vain, which I believe is ever so appropriate for these evil and ungodly times on the earth. We all know it, but don’t pay much, or sufficient attention to it. It comes from Psalm 127, A song of degrees for (of) Solomon. And it so rightly says: ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (stays awake in vain). It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.’ (Ps. 127:1-2)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! Unless we have God in our plans, they will not work the way we want them to. That’s further borne out by these apt words from Psalm 121: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve (keep) thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep safe) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 121: 1-8)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of overall protection we get when we involve the Lord God Jehovah in our affairs! But turning back to Psalm 127, the psalmist continues to speak of our futility without God in our daily lives. He says: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.’ (Ps. 127:3)
Oh, they certainly are! As Jacob said to his estranged brother Esau when they finally ended their estrangement. ‘And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he (Esau) lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he (Jacob) said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.’ (Gen. 33: 4-5)
Now, that’s how we ought to appreciate the children we are granted by God, because there are so many people, right now, and also down through the ages who desperately desired children but could not have any. However, we see how the Lord blessed barren women like, Sarah -Isaac’s mother in her old age (90), (Gen. 21) likewise Hannah – Samuel’s mother when she prayed fervently for a child, (1 Sam.1) and Elizabeth – the mother of John the Baptist, who had been barren for many years. (Luke 1:36) As Psalm 113 tells us: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps. 113:9)
Oh, isn’t our God wonderful! He certainly is! Then the psalmist goes on to explain God’s reward through children. ‘As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (a warrior); so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127:4-5) Mama Mia! That’s the blessedness of having children my fellow believers!
And I like how the scholars explain Psalm 127. They say: ‘The principle of this psalm is that all human efforts are in vain unless they have God’s blessing. This principle is applied to 4 areas: building a house (vs. 1a), guarding a city (vs. 1b), working long hours (vs. 2), and having children (vs 3-5). It is possible to accomplish all of these things without God’s blessing, but it is not possible to accomplish them purposefully and with eternal value without God’s blessing. The psalm includes, incidentally, two practical reasons for having children: they bring you joy, and they protect you (vs. 5).’
Ah friends, it’s so foolish to try and live this earthly, unknown, anything can happen at any time life without God’s grace and mercy surrounding us. That’s the wisdom of living life; doing it with God, and according to James that’s entirely possible: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
Unfortunately though, in this ungodly society, many of us are seeking wisdom in the wrong places, and are also big doubters, jumping from one newfangled idea to another, like a bee flits from one flower to the other. There is absolutely no stability in our society right now, as everything seems to be in a state of flux, that’s constant change and drifting without real purpose. And the only antidote for that kind of life, the only stable foundation in this world is Jehovah God, through His Son Jesus Christ.
Please let’s remember that my fellow saints, as we go about our daily lives, and please let’s make sure that we build those lives on the rock that’s Christ Jesus, so that we can have true stability regardless of what happens in our lives and the world. Now, for those of us trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
Altogether: ‘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!’
That means we must now go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they can come to truly know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Christ…the solid rock we stand…all other ground…is simply sinking sand…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 January 2023 Psalm 127:1a.
03 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all these things shall be added unto you, as God for Christ's sake, be kind one to another, be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, by ye angry and sin not, corrupt according to deceitful lusts, forgiving one another, grieve not the Holy Spirit, hath forgiven you, having your loins girt about with truth, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, let all bitterness, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, live for and with Jesus, LOVE, New Year's resolutions, put off the old man, put on the new man, putting away lying, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, speak every man the truth with his neighbour, tenderhearted, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry, wrath clamour anger be put away from you
Ephesians 4:23. And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind:
And this Tuesday morning, the third day of 2023, the first working day of the year for many of us, has opened somewhat damp and cloudy in my area. But as always, the joy in our hearts over a new year is usually enough to compensate for that, especially since we still have some of the recent balmy above freezing weather with us. (smile) However, the important question today is what New Year’s resolutions have we made, and have we made keepable ones? Undoubtedly, like years past, in the first couple of weeks, we’ll be strong on those resolutions, but then as everyday life begins to take us over again, we will begin falling off of those lofty heights that we promised ourselves to journey on in this new year.
But yuh know friends, we can all avoid that falling off by simply making ONE resolution each and every year, that of desiring, and therefore, trying, doing everything we can, to live for and with Jesus! Now that just makes everything so simple and uncomplicated. You don’t have to remember a whole lot of stuff. For Jesus said it so clearly: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Wow! How easy that is my people! All we do is seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all our needs, everything else will fall into place. that’s Jesus’ promise.
The problem though is that we don’t fully believe it as we should, so we keep on trying to live life on our own terms, which sometimes turns out fairly well, but never reaches its full capacity because it doesn’t have the anointing of God on it. And I’m chuckling here because I was just ready to go off on a different tangent when the Holy Spirit reminded me that I’d promised that if God spared us today, we’d continue looking at practical aspects of the new life in Christ, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. Thank You Holy Spirit! Otherwise, I would have begun the new year with a most inauspicious mark of not keeping my promise, and we just cannot have that! (smile)
Anyhow, enough talk, let’s get to our subject. And Bruh Paul expatiates on the new life in Christ thus: ‘That ye put off the concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be ye 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.’ (Eph. (4:22-24)
Ah friends, that’s exactly what we need to do at the beginning of this new year; throw off all the baggage we’re still carrying around from our old way of life and move into the new way that’s promoted by Christ. And here are some practical and easy ways…well they might not be so easy for some of us who are addicted to the old ways, but with the help of Jesus, they are indeed possible to change, if we are serious about invoking the new man.
So, Bruh Paul advises: ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man the truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.’ (Eph. 4:25) And speaking the truth to each other is about as good a place to begin as any, my fellow believers, for this world is so polluted with lies, deceits and distrust that it’s indeed difficult to know what’s true from what’s not. And remember one of the essential parts of God’s spiritual armour is the belt of truth ‘having your loins girt about with truth.’ (Eph. 6:14)
Then what about these practical aspects of living the new life eh? ‘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.’ (Eph. 4:26-28)
Ah mih bredrin, doesn’t that sound interesting? And most of us will say yes, but it’s the changing and then the keeping of those directives that cause the problems. However, if we are basically good people, they really shouldn’t cause us that many problems nuh, because good people don’t lie and steal, get angry easily and refuse to work. And with Jesus’ help, it’s all possible. That’s what we need to always remember: living for Christ automatically includes His help. And remember that we can do all things with His amazing and powerful help. (Phil 4:13)
Neither forget we this tidbit from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-11) Now can you imagine if we actually imposed that rule in our society, the amount of starvation we’d have added to the great amount we already have, because there are so many who work very little or not at all, but are causing all sorts of problems.
They are doing exactly what Bruh Paul recommends we don’t do. ‘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.’ (Eph. 4:29) Oh my people, my people, we desperately need to put that advice into action, because this society is so filled with corrupt communication, especially with the current prevalence of social media, that it just boggles the imagination. And sadly, very little of it is indeed worthy of edifying and ministering grace to us.
Then Bruh Paul makes this solemn plea: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30) Now that is something we should all try to avoid. And you ask how can we grieve the Holy Spirit? By simply doing the things we know we should not do, by not listening to His guidance and leading! Remember the Holy Spirit is a person, and thus has feelings and those feelings can be aggrieved like ours, cause Him pain, when the right things are not done in His sight.
But thankfully we won’t have to worry about grieving the Holy Spirit because from now on we’ll be concentrating on doing the right things in His sight. We’ll do what Bruh Paul further advises. ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4;31-32) Now those are some of the practical aspects of putting on the new man and living for Christ! And can you imagine the great difference it would make to our world if we believers should sincerely try to adopt them.
So please, let’s make sincerely living for Christ our New Year’s resolution nuh. That is if we sincerely want to change our world for the better. And for those of us who are doing our best to live for 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!’
And the addendum to that is 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!
…to see positive change…one has to take off the old and put on the new…which is found only in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double-minded man is unstable, acknowledge God's sovereignty, an empty space for God, ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, bitter rebellion, build up a pretense, conscience-stricken, deliver me according to thy word, desolate, discernment, give me understanding according to thy word, give me understanding and I shall live, God is the potter we are the clay, heartsick, hide my emotions, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if any of you lack wisdom, in god's eyes, Jesus is all we ever need, let my cry come near before thee O Lord, LOVE, New Year's bash, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding, perplexities, puzzled, rejecting God, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with my neighbours, skill in living, the Lord giveth wisdom, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the redeeming blood of Jesus, trials and tribulations, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, Unexplainable Mystery, unpredictable life, worry
Psalm 119:169. Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
And then it was Tuesday…and the Christmas celebrations are winding down. But just until the weekend, when the big New Year’s bash takes place! Ah, what a difference a year makes! And let’s hope that we will do a better job of living and LOVING in 2023, a better job of safeguarding our wonderful planet, and lessening the considerable strife, anger and hate that presently has it coloured in human blood. Let’s hope that it’s the redeeming blood of Jesus that will engulf us, and not the blood of our fellow human beings.
So, in light of all the sad happenings in ourselves and our world, let’s listen to this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, which describes a lot of what we’re currently going through. It’s titled ‘Unexplainable Mystery.’ Please read with me. ‘Mysterious God Today I am desolate I am puzzled I am heartsick That I must wait so long When you have promised so much. At the same time I am conscience-stricken That I should feel such bitter rebellion.
Yet, to try to hide my emotions Would only build up a pretense That would eventually be exposed. I suppose, O God In the great perplexities Of my unpredictable life One of two things will always happen: Either I will crowd You out (Slowly but surely) Or I will acknowledge Your sovereignty In every area of my bewildered life. To offer myself to You Regardless of the circumstances May always bring unexplainable mystery. But rejecting You totally Brings the depth of despair.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! Rejecting God totally, can only drive us to the depths of despair! Accepting Him and His sovereignty takes some getting used to and sometimes drives us crazy when we can’t find answers. But deep down, we know that total rejection of Almighty God is the biggest mistake we can ever make, because then we have no one or nothing to fall back on, to lean on when the circumstances of life rear up and come against us, as they most definitely will! That’s why so many of us who have crowded God out of our lives are suffering so much affliction we can hardly breathe!
Yes, living for God isn’t easy, there will be trials and tribulations, but living without Him is unbearable! And why is that? The answer’s simple. When the Lord created us, He built in a special algorithm that causes us to yearn for Him. He left this empty space in our souls that ONLY He can fill. And until He fills it, we will always yearn for something more, something greater than ourselves, although we try to do life on our own. It’s not rocket science friends. It’s just the wisdom and common sense with which our Lord created us; He gave us free will, but also to always feel the need of and for Him, despite, or in spite of all our rebellious actions.
And yuh know what friends, that hunger for God that’s buried deep within us, usually manifests itself when we are at the lowest point, the very ebb of our lives, and it forces us to cry out like the Bible Promise for our poem from Psalm 119. ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word. Let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word (promise).’ (Ps. 119:169-170) Oh my people, there is no sense in fighting against Almighty God since He is our Creator. He is the Potter and we are simply the clay which He can form or mold in whatever shape He desires.
It’s like fighting against a raging sea or a wind of hurricane proportions. You just can’t do it on your own. And have you ever noticed how, the first words that come out of the mouths of even the biggest atheists and unbelievers in their time of misery or dire circumstances are: ‘Oh God!’ Closely followed by ‘Help me!’ That’s because of the built-in algorithm to seek for our heavenly Father when all else fails, so He can fill His reserved space in our souls! And those words of the psalmist are ever so important in a believer’s life; ‘give me understanding according to thy word.’
All through the Good Book, or rather the Good Library, (smile) it’s continually echoed as the way, the lifeline for earthly living. The psalmist himself wrote earlier on: ‘The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.’ (Ps. 119:144) Wow! Understanding of God’s word is essential for righteous earthly living!
And Cousin Sol puts it so nicely in Proverbs 2. ‘My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee (treasure them); So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thy heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.’ (Prov. 2:1-6)
Yes friends, wisdom and understanding are ours for the asking, but we have to diligently seek them, like a prospector searches for gold. James, Jesus’ brother writes in his epistle. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
That says it all my fellow saints; there must be no doubt in our minds and spirits when we go to God seeking wisdom and understanding. But what are these things called wisdom and understanding, you ask, and why are they essential? Well, because they enable you to live a wise, godly and righteous life! Wisdom is basically ‘skill in living, wise behaviour, good sense, or wise dealing’ in one’s affairs. And understanding is the ability, or ‘capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’ In other words, discernment, that’s being able to grasp, to comprehend what’s not totally spelt out.
So, if we desire to live a wise and sensible life, we have to seek wisdom and understanding, and since it only comes from Almighty God, it’s reasonable to assume we need to connect with Him to get it. (smile) And if you haven’t yet made that essential connection with the Father, please do so asap. Believe me, it will greatly help in living life. But for those of us who have already formed that connection and are doing our best to live in wisdom and understanding, 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 both my immediate neighbours and the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, it’s time for us to go out and share Jesus’ amazing LOVE and friendship, so others can come to know and LOVE Him, the way we do! Much LOVE!
…in Jesus…we have all that we will ever need…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
06 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ingrates, a sacrifice to God, a sweet smelling savour, as Christ has also loved us, be ye therefore followers of God, by what shall it be salted, courage and courtesy to live for Christ, dieobedient, evildoers, going to hell in a hand-basket, good for nothing, hath given himself for us an offering, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if the salt hath lost it savour, in god's eyes, lost our saltiness, LOVE, new brooms sweep clean, old brooms know the corners, only the Lorve of christ that can melt coldness, salt acts as a preservative, salt adds flouring, salt heals wounds, salt melts coldness, share His love with my neighbours, to be cast our, trodden under foot of men, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk in LOVE, with the whole wide world, worry, ye are the salt of the earth
Ephesians 5:2. And walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet -smalling savour (aroma).
Well, it’s Tuesday… we’re alive to see it and are ever so thankful for that grace and mercy of our great God! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for allowing me to see another day on this wonderful planet earth!’ And I know some of you are disputing my terminology there about the wonders of this planet, but God made it wonderful, it’s we the disobedient and evildoers who have made it ugly and however it is today!
And with the Lord’s help and our sincere dedication, we can make it great again! But we’ve got to wake up very soon and smell the disgusting aroma of sin and evil that surrounds us, because it’s definitely not a sweet savour or smell. Nowhere close to what God expects and what Bruh Paul writes to the Ephesians. ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet -smelling savour (aroma).’ (Eph. 5:1-2)
No friends, we’re not living up to the sacrificial offering that Christ made to God on our behalf. And that’s rather sad and pitiful. Jesus could put His life on the line for us, and we don’t even have the courage and or courtesy to live for Him! What a bunch of ingrates! And as Christ Himself so plainly put it in His sermon on the Mount: ‘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)
Unfortunately though my supposed Christian brethren, too many of us are not meeting that requirement at this present moment, that’s why sin and ungodliness are so rampant in our world. Too many of us have lost our saltiness and are therefore only worth to be trampled underfoot.
And I like how the scholars explain that verse. The say ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light. Ye are the salt of the earth: Again, the phrase ‘ye are’ indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! We need to be like salt and add a good and pleasant Christ-like flavour to the world around us, and then preserve that beautiful flavour, don’t let it disintegrate or disappear and turn to something that’s not a sweet savour to our wonderful God. And when we talk about the power of salt to melt coldness, do we ever have a big job to do in this oh so cold and selfish world. But how could it be otherwise if we’re not spreading the LOVE of Christ sufficiently eh? It’s ONLY the LOVE OF CHRIST that will melt the coldness and selfishness of this world.
And then, last but not least, we come to the power of salt to heal wounds. Wow! And all you old people (smile) know of that marvellous power, for when we were young the first thing our parents put on our cuts was salt, bathe them in salt-water before putting anything else on them And ofttimes they put nothing else, and in the blink of an eye those cuts would be healed. I remember experiencing the dreaded feeling of warm Epsom salts water on my cuts. It burned like the fires in Hades! (smile) But the cuts were healed very quickly.
And likewise, if we take the saltiness embedded in the LOVE and friendship of Christ to the world, we will be able to heal so many wounds, that our world would turn into a completely different and better place! But we have to first lose our fear of the world, then develop the desire and the chutzpah to turn it around, reclaiming the saltiness that we’ve lost along the way. Otherwise, our world is just going to keep on going to hell in a handbasket! And I don’t think we desire that for either us or our children.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s high time we stop allowing ourselves to be simply trampled underfoot like flavourless salt and be the light and flavourful salt that Jesus desires and also empowered us to be! The fault lies with us, not with the world or with Christ. We have all the tools we need to do His work, but, for whatever reason, we just are not doing it, and that obviously saddens our Lord and Saviour. Because, say whatever you want, after sacrificing so much for us, He will be deeply disappointed that we are not putting up a better effort on His behalf.
After He’s made the devil a toothless lion, with only a big bark, taken away the keys of hell, death and the grave from him, and given us the victory, how could we in all good conscience not step up to the plate and do a better job for Him eh? There’s no good reason whatsoever! Therefore, I am pleading with us to seriously examine our consciences today and discover where we are going wrong, or just not doing what we should, and for our sakes, our children’s and Jesus’, rise up and do better. We can certainly do it if we try!
And for those of us who are already trying to live sincerely for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice! ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having declared those heartfelt words, let’s go out now and put them into action, sharing 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!
and the ole adage applies…time for Christians to stop being the old brooms that know the corners…and start being the new brooms that sweep clean… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be ye also ready, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, disobedient to parents, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, in the last days perilous times shall come, lock stock and barrel, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, men shall be lovers of their own selves, pleasure-oriented, prepared for Christ's return, prepared for winter, religion without power, self-gratifying, share His love with my neighbours, spiritual life, the coming apostasy, the coming of the Son of man, the condition of humanity, the days of Noah, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, watch and pray, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, without self control, worry, ye know neither the day nor the hour
Matthew 25:13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
And the days roll along unconcernedly, just as they were programmed to do, while we wise ones get into winter mode. Yes friends, it’s true wisdom to get oneself ready for the winter season; mentally, physically, and emotionally, for if you don’t, winter will have you going stark raving crazy after a li’l while. (smile) That’s because it’s a very aggressive season; always in your face, with the cold, and either ice, wind or snow, and if you’re not prepared for it on all fronts, you will have a most miserable time.
And you know what? Even when you think you’re fully prepared for it, it throws you a curved ball and blows your mind. And yuh see what happened in Buffalo this past weekend…and this is only the start of the season…so please prepare yourself. Just like we need to be prepared the next coming of Jesus, if we want to see heaven with Him till eternity. Please remember this serious warning of Jesus, when he speaks of His return to earth. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Matt. 24:36-37)
Now there are two important facts there; only the Father knows when the Son will return, and it will take place like it did in the times of Noah, at a time of much carousing and evil doing, when the judgement day is totally unexpected, like Noah’s associates were when the earth cleansing flood occurred, wiping out all mankind except Noah and his family.
So, Jesus continues: ‘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 my people, Jesus couldn’t have been any plainer or more explicit unless He had added the exact time of His return.
And the scholars explain. ‘24:35-38. Verses 35 and 36 warn against attempts to set an exact date for Christ’s return at the end of the church age. To speculate that “day” and “hour” do not eliminate “year” is a gross oversimplification. The Father only knows of the Christ’s return since it has been set by His authority (cf. Acts 1:7). However, we are given a comparison to the days of Noah (and the Flood), which illustrate and prefigure the condition of humanity at the time of Christ’s return. The last generation, like the one of Noah’s day, is pleasure oriented and self-gratifying by eating and drinking. The reference to marrying and giving in marriage (vs. 38) may refer to carrying on the normal course of life without heeding the impending judgement.’
And yuh better believe that they are speaking there of a generation eerily similar to ours; pleasure-oriented and self-gratifying, for lawlessness and licentiousness are the norm of our current society, and very few have time for God. Like Bruh Paul so knowingly wrote of the coming apostasy (abandonment of faith in God) in his second letter to Timothy.
‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Ah mih bredrin, you’d think that Bruh Paul was living today and describing our current lifestyle, for he’s hit the nail right on its proverbial head with his description of what’s happening in today’s world. As the scholars say of verses 1-4: ‘The last days began with the birth of Christ, and will culminate in Christ’s return to earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’ And if that is so, then we had better get ready for Christ’s imminent return, because we are currently experiencing ‘perilous times’ and our world couldn’t get any more godless than it is already.
And per verse 5, the scholars explain: ‘A form of godliness is mere religion without power or spiritual life. Paul commands Timothy to turn away from those false teachers who prey upon women laden with sins, who are susceptible to false teachers.’ And are we ever seeing the prevalence of false teachers, those who talk a good talk, but like the Pharisees of old, don’t walk the spiritual walk, because they lack the true spiritual power of God.
Ah my fellow saints, there is more I’d like to say on the subject, but it’ll make it way too long, and knowing our short attention spans, (smile) we’ll stop there for today, and continue it on the morrow, the Lord willing. In the meanwhile, for those of us attempting to stay prepared, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) 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 friends, let’s go out 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!
…the Christian’s motto should be…watch and pray…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
15 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, called according to His purpose, cannot be touched by our infirmities, diligence, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, excellence, follow in Jesus' footsteps, free will, God's unmerited favour, have good success, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, never to leave nor forsake us, new mercies and compassions, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, observe to do all that's written therein, our sinful nature, recociliation, shall not depart out of thy mouth, share His love with my neighbours, the blood of Jesus, the cross of Calvary, the dustbin of history, the gift of God is eternal life, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the wages of sin is death, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein day and night, to them that love God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, was in all points tempted like us, we have not a high priest, without sin, worry
Hebrews 4:15. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Oh my people it’s Tuesday! Yes, we’ve successfully kicked Monday, our old nemesis into the dustbin of history, and are beginning on a new journey with our great God, which promises exciting things and wonderful adventures. Wow! What an interesting God we serve, for we never know what a new day will bring, except for His new mercies and compassions of that day. That’s all we are ever sure of. However, because He’s faithfully promised in Hebrews 13:5, to never leave nor forsake us, we are confident that though He takes us through the wildest and most dangerous scenarios of life, He will bring us safely through them.
Sometimes we’ll be anxious and scared to the point of trembling, but never will we doubt or give up on this most mighty and wonderful promise. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of: ‘Thank You Jesus for promising never to leave nor forsake us and to eventually work everything out for our good! We LOVE You and gloriously praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Ah mih faithful bredrin, it’s so awesome to know that when you awaken on a morning, alive and kicking, or even just barely alive (smile) that you have an amazing Deity looking out for you, regardless of what comes against you. It just fills you with an unimaginable joy and sense of purpose, knowing that you can go out and accomplish anything that’s in the Lord’s will. Listen to this promise of empowerment nuh, so graciously offered since the time of the prophet Isaiah. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17)
Oh my my, what a glorious promise! But friends, there is a caveat to that promise and most of God’s other promises; that we act in His will, in righteousness and be true servants of God. We can’t just behave willy nilly, irresponsible and evil, like so many supposed believers are doing nowadays and expect to receive the benefits of His promises. No! Our God is indeed a good God, but He’s not a dithering, faltering grandfather, who just does whatever we wish, regardless of our behaviour. Certainly not! We are in a partnership with Him, and He does expect a certain standard of behaviour from His believers, and a high standard at that. One of diligence and excellence, like Jesus showed during His earthly sojourn.
No, the Lord doesn’t expect us to do everything right like Jesus, because He did not make us perfect, but He does expect us to walk as closely as possible in Jesus’ footsteps, with LOVE, and compassion being first and foremost in our lives, regardless of our personal difficulties, for that’s what Jesus did! And please remember that though Jesus was God, He was also human, so He experienced and felt the exact same things we do, but He just never sinned or gave into the temptations of the enemy. As the author of Hebrews tells us: ‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb. 4:15)
There again, our wonderful God has made provision for our falling into diverse temptations because of our sinful nature. Through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary that brought reconciliation between man and God, we are also entitled to come to Him for forgiveness through sincere repentance. Now, which other faith has such wonderful provisions for a bunch of ungrateful sinners eh? None! And yes, the Lord’s given us free will to choose whatever we want to do, but it doesn’t mean we can just sin and be disobedient as we like and get away with it. No siree, for there are consequences, ofttimes major, life-changing ones to every sin that we commit.
Please don’t forget what Bruh Paul said in his letter to the Romans about that soul-defeating, challenging, enemy hurled thing called sin. He clearly outlined. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23) Yes friends, that tells us what we deserve, as opposed to what we get through God’s unmerited favour! If we insist on being sinful and not embracing Christ as Lord and Saviour, then our eventual disposition will be unequivocal death, just like the sinful and disgusting enemy Satan.
However, if we sincerely embrace Christ, and do our best to live for him, though we may sin, but not live a life of knowing and continual sin, we will end up with Him in a miraculous place called heaven, where eternal life is guaranteed. Now, I can’t think or conceive of a better place to spend eternity. But if you can, please share it with me, like I’m sharing my best idea with you. (smile) Oh my people, God’s Word found in His Holy Library, the Bible, is so chocked full of promises that if we don’t read, study and meditate on it, we’ll never find success in this crazy and evil world.
And it’s not me saying that, but it’s what the Lord himself said to Joshua many moons ago, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. Please listen very closely to this oh so important scripture. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
Oh my fellow saints that’s possibly the most important scripture in the Bible! Why? Because when you constantly meditate on God’s word and keep it continually in your mouth, note it is to be kept continually in your speech, then you will know what the Word says, and you will be able to practice it and live a successful life! In summation, I sincerely offer that there’s nothing better than that in this earthly sojourn! (smile) But the only way you’ll ever find out if I’m telling the truth or not, is by doing what the Lord says, and what I’m passing on. (smile)
Anyway, for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and are doing our best to live for him, let’s go home now declaring (steups!!!) 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 do just that nuh; share our amazing LOVE and friendship with Christ, so that others can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…choosing to follow the enemy brings certain death… choosing to follow Christ means living forever…please use your free will wisely…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
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