21 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a more authentic and fulfilling existence, a more profound understanding of oneself, all for our benefit, are ye my disciples indeed, as Christ desires of us, as you sent me into the world, be sanctified through the truth, blunt our witness for Christ, bondage, boring, confidence, corrupted by the evil one, deception, disobedient beings, do our divine duty, doing their evil bidding, encouraging fellowship, exasperating, faith, followers of the crowd, for their sakes, freedom from fear, given them thy word, guilt, have my joy fulfilled in themselves, hear and answer our prayers, holy spirit, humble ourselves, I have also sent them into the world, I sanctify myself, if ye continue in my word, ignorance, improved relationships, instead of leaders, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lead to personal growth, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mix and mingle with the world, of the many suffering from negative situations, our divine calling, perseverance, please ease the pain, positive preparation, pray, prevailing weather conditions, salvation, sanctify them, set them apart, sin, sincere repentance, sincerely seek God's face, sinful by nature, sinned and seriously disobeyed your word, strong faith in Christ, sufficient rest, the advice of wisdom and common sense, the devil and his evil cohorts, the God who heals, the new work week, the opening day, the throne of grace, the truth can liberate one from bondage, the truth shall make you free, the way God planned it, the world hated them, these things I speak in the world, they are not of the world, through thy truth, thy word is truth, to alleviate our problems, traffic jams, truth, truth is not an abstract concept, turn from our evil ways, use our free will indiscriminately, weekly work merry-go-round, wisdom, wise guidance, worry, ye shall know the truth
John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
And the weekly work merry-go-round continues; Monday to Friday, and then back to Monday again! It does get kind of boring and exasperating at times, but that’s the way God planned it, and if we’re wise, we’ll also learn the method He devised for us to handle it with confidence and perseverance. That’s getting sufficient rest and encouraging fellowship over the weekend, then early, positive preparation for the opening day of the new work week.
And if we’ll obediently follow that pattern, then we’ll have no serious problems or concerns, except for the prevailing weather conditions and usual traffic jams come Monday mornings. But the problem is that we’re by nature a bunch of disobedient beings, who like to use the free will God gave us to do whatever we like, when we like. That means doing the exact opposite of what wisdom and common sense advise; like partying all weekend, thus, not getting sufficient rest, neither going to church and refreshing one’s spirit, nor making early preparations for Monday.
But although that unwise attitude usually leads us to terrible Mondays, we persist in doing it. Why eh? Is it because so many others, especially unbelievers, are doing the foolishness that we feel we need to do it too? Are we simply being followers of the crowd instead of leaders, as Christ desires us to be? Remember, if we desire to be true believers in, and worthwhile disciples of Christ, we cannot be mere followers of the crowd, like sheep being led sheepishly to the slaughter.
No! We need to be leading the way which leads to Christ and eternal life. That’s our divine calling! Jesus stated it when He prayed to the Father for the early disciples and all others who came after them. He said: ‘And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of this world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.’ (John 17:13-19)
Oh my fellow believers, you see how Jesus desperately prayed for us to be in the world so that we could do His work, but sanctified, or set apart from it so that we wouldn’t be corrupted by the evil one. Yes, we do need to be in the world, how else would we ever do our divine duty. But being in the world, does not necessarily mean being a part of the world, or doing the things that the world does. Unfortunately though, too many of us forget our sanctified, sat apart roles and thus mix and mingle with the world as though we were a part of it.
And that’s exactly what the evil one desires, so he can blunt our witness for Christ. So, when we act like the world, we’re playing straight into his hand, and he goes to his evil lair with a big smile on his evil face. That brings us to these words of Jesus, to those Jews who believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’
Now what does that mean? This commentary explains it thus: ‘It suggests that truth is not just an abstract concept but something that exists, and that can be known and applied to one’s life, leading to a more authentic and fulfilling existence. It also signifies that knowing the truth can liberate one from various forms of bondage, including ignorance, deception, sin, freedom from fear, worry and guilt. Knowing the truth can lead to personal growth, improved relationships, and a more profound understanding of oneself and the world.’
And that’s exactly what the Word of God is designed to do in our lives. But sadly, though Jesus teaches us the truth of God’s Word, we’re not being truly set free by it, and are still allowing the devil and his evil cohorts to ‘confuffle’ and confuse us into doing their evil bidding. Now that does not speak well of us my fellow believers, so it’s time we do something serious and concrete about our shortcomings. And there’s no better time to begin than right now! So let’s start by going to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for all that ails us.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And now, knowing what it takes for God to answer our prayers, let’s do those things nuh; that’s humble ourselves, pray, and with true repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God’s face. Remember, they are all for our benefit, not God’s! Much LOVE!
…if we know God’s truth…which can set us free…why do we allow ourselves to stay in bondage…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian life begins with total commitment, a great day to be alive, a living sacrifice, a new way of thinking, a time of renewal, a time to renew our passion for Christ, acceptable unto God, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be kind to one another, be not conformed to this world, be ye angry and sin not, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, blindness of heart, changing your thought patterns, christianity, Christians, closer intimacy with God, conduct of the world, created in righteousness and true holiness, deepen my breath, Easter Season, embracing biblical principles, engaging in creative activities, eternal life, evil speaking, faith, flowers sprouting, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man love the world, ignorance, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, justifying, laciviousness, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him labour, let him that stole steal no more, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, living lives that honour Christ, LOVE, love not the world, making us righteous, members one of another, mercy, minister grace unto the hearers, Mother Nature, neither give place to the devil, neither the things that are in the world, perseverance, practical advice, practicing new habits, prayer, prsent thinking, put away all bitterness anger wrath and clamour, put off the former conversation, put on the new man, putting away lying, quiet my soul, reading scripture, rebirth, reflection, relax my muscles, renewed in the spirit of your mind, resist being poured into the mold of the world, resurrection, salvation, sanctifying, sealed until the day of redemption, sincere effort, sincerity and truth, slow my thoughts, speak truth with your neighbour, spring, tenderhearted, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's calming presence, the love of the Father is not in him, the old man, the passion of our souls, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the season of rebirth, the thing which is good, the truth is in Jesus, to align with the truth of God's word, total commitment, transform our minds, trees budding with green leaves, truth, value systems, vanity, wisdom, with all malice, working with his hands, your love both surrounds and fills me, your reasonable service
Romans 12: 2a. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
Oh, this first lazy-day Saturday in May is a somewhat damp and cloudy one, but it’s oh so good for lazing around! (smile) And besides, that wonderful season of spring is in the air. The season of rebirth, of renewal, of all things being made new, and once again the trees are budding green leaves and flowers are sprouting in the gardens. What can be nicer eh, especially in this Easter Season, one of resurrection, of salvation and of eternal life! That means it’s a great day to be alive, so let’s give thanks to our wonderful God for that li’l fact nuh, by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer.
As one voice, in all sincerity and truth: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we can soon expect to receive a calming presence from our heavenly Father, for desiring to be with Him in greater intimacy is His favourite desire, and He cannot help but grant our wish.
And just as spring is a time of renewal and rebirth for Mother Nature, I believe it can also be a time of renewal and rebirth for us, a time to strengthen our faith, to renew our belief in Christ Jesus, a time to reignite the passion in our souls, having recently suffered through His sacrificial death on our behalf, and then witnessed His miraculous and amazing resurrection. That’s certainly a time to renew our passion for Christ. so let’s begin with this foundational scripture from Bruh Paul to the Romans.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:1-2) Yes friends, in honour of all that God has done for us, justifying, sanctifying, and making us righteous, among other things, then we need to show some appreciation and respect by living lives that honour Him. And according to the scholars: ‘This shows that the Christian life begins with total commitment and irrevocable presentation.’
Now, the first step in this renewal of our minds is to stop being conformed to the ways of the world, which are mostly opposite and opposed to those of Christ. As per the scholars, we are to ‘resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’ And John, in his first epistle, tells it perfectly: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ (1 John 1:15) It could not be more explicit than that!
Then, we are to transform our minds, transition them to a new way of thinking, that supplied by Christ and His values. And I like how this commentary explains the process of transforming our minds. ‘Renewing your mind, often used in a spiritual context, involves actively changing your thought patterns to align with truth and God’s will. This process can be achieved through reading scripture, embracing biblical principles, and setting aside time for reflection and prayer. Practicing new habits, engaging in creative activities, and even taking a break from routine can also contribute to a renewed perspective.’
Yes, it’s not easy, especially if you were deeply involved in the ways of the world, and it does take time, but with a sincere heart and the help of the Holy Spirit, that transformation can be accomplished. And Bruh Paul, as is his habit, gives us some practical advice per transforming our minds, in his letter to the Ephesians. Having talked about the Gentiles being alienated from Christ, with their vanity, ignorance, blindness of heart, uncleanness, lasciviousness and greed, (Eph. 4:17-19) he then writes:
‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to hm that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying (educational), that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day or redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:20-32)
And that’s the practical manner in which we go about transforming our minds and putting on the new man in Christ! And yes, it’s a lot to learn and do, but that’s why we’ve been given the Holy Spirit as our guide and helper. And please remember that nothing happens overnight, but it takes sincere effort and perseverance on our part. If we do our part, the Lord will surely do His. So on this damp and cloudy first lazy-day Saturday in May, let’s do like Mother Nature does in springtime, and get to renewing our minds and bodies in the new man that resembles Christ Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be in Christ…or He in you…unless your mind’s been transformed…and you’re a new man…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a reflection of that bygone one, between you and your God, bring forth iniquity, compassionate heart, conceive mischief, curse, divine protection, encouraging each other, faithful brethren in Christ, fleshly desires of the evil one, friend and stranger, from henceforth and forever, get back to our roots, grace, greetings, he will not hear you, helping each other, ignorance, in the name of Jesus, know where their bread is buttered, mercy, my spirit that is upon thee, my words, negative word, neither his ear heavy, none calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth, not too late, our bounden duty, our faith in Christ assures us, our sins separate us from God, our society, out of thy seed, out of thy seed's seed, pandemic, Peace and Love, people of god, pride, prosper, receive salvation, refuse to listen, return to the Lord's fold, salutations, sent His Son to die to for us, shall not depart out of thy mouth, show the true colours of Christ, speak lies, step forward, succeed, sufferation, that it cannot hear, that it cannot save, the action of a wise society, the church of Christ, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's hand is not shortened, there will be an eventual end, Thursday Blessings, to turn from our evil ways, tragedy, trust in vanity, unnecessaray deaths, unpredictable year of 2020, we will come out better and stronger, which I have put in thy mouth, while we were yet sinners, worldly passions and desires, your fingers with iniquity, your hands are defiled with blood, your iniquities have separated, your lips have spoken lies, your sins have hid his face from you
Isaiah 59:2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Greetings and salutations, with much peace and LOVE, on this wet and dreary looking Thursday autumn morn my faithful brethren in Christ! Yes, that’s somewhat of a mouthful, (smile) but it comes sincerely from the heart, as we continue this most unpredictable and unexpected year of 2020. And re one of my usual musings, we’ve already reached the midpoint of October which just began the other day. (smile)
Oh boy, although this year has been somewhat topsy-turvy, confusing and rather challenging, it has also passed rather quickly – at least in my humble opinion. That’s possibly because I’m not suffering as much as many people, who can’t find work, food nor money and are having a rather rough time of it all. Ah friends, for those of us who are having it fairly safe and comfortable, it behooves us to try and help the many who are not, who are facing unimaginable tragedy in their lives because of this seemingly unsolvable pandemic.
This is the time when the church of Christ must step up, step forward and show the true colours of our Lord and Saviour. We possibly won’t have a better opportunity than this time to show the world what Christ is really about – in action, not just in words; LOVE and caring for both friend and stranger, grace and mercy, helping each other, praying for each other, sacrificing for each other, welcoming each other, where possible, with open arms, and encouraging each other to stand strong in faith in these turbulent times that seem to have no foreseeable end in sight.
But that’s why we’re believers, our faith in Christ Jesus assures us that there will be an eventual end, and that we will come out good, even stronger on the other side; strong and more faithful than ever! And that’s what we have to try and encourage in all those with whom we come into contact – whether it’s by snail mail, e-mail, text-messaging, telephone or in person – that this Covid -19 business and the societal upheaval in general will not last forever, but if we get back to our roots, get back to the Father and Creator of all; the One who sent His Son to die for us while we were yet strangers and sinners, then our current sorry plight will definitely improve.
But until we do that, we’ll keep on having disastrous times. Hear this scripture from Isaiah on the topic of national corruption and consequent suffering nuh. ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened. That it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (cause much bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble, evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:1-4)
Yeh friends, Isaiah was telling his people that the Lord’s hand was not yet beyond the reach of salvation for their abominable sins, which He laid out in more detail in the ongoing verses of the chapter. However, at the very end of that chapter He made this promise. ‘And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.’ (Is.20-21)
But yuh know what, even though the Almighty kept His promise, and made it so much easier for us to receive salvation through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ, we have fallen into the same well of evil in which the Israelites found themselves so long ago. Yeh, without a doubt, our current society is a reflection of that bygone one, and even worse than that, since we are purposely trying to turf God out of our society, and blatantly lording our sins and sinful behaviour over Him.
But the Lord God Jehovah is still merciful and graceful and long-suffering, and the same thing He told the Israelites way back then, is what He’s also trying to tell us now: it is not too late to turn from our evil ways, though our sins separate us from His presence. But in our proud, stubborn and know-it-all state, we refuse to listen and persist in our sinful, iniquitous ways. Remember all those times Israel departed from God and the tough circumstances they then found themselves in? Now why would it be any different with us eh?
But the wise thing about Israel is that they eventually remembered where their bread was buttered, woke up and returned to worshipping the Lord…and He took them back with opened arms and healed their land. It’s the same offer He’s making to us today my people; return to my fold and I will forgive and heal you. But no, we seem too proud and haughty, too big for our britches to admit our failure, our wrongdoing and give up our worldly passions and desires. Therefore ‘sufferation’ will continue.
And it’s not so much the Lord’s doing nuh, but mostly our own ignorance and pride. Take a look at the pandemic; the only things we have right now to lessen the slaughter are physical distancing, wearing masks and washing hands, but we refuse to adhere to those simple protocols, while we watch unnecessary deaths consequently proliferate. Is that the action of a wise society? I very much doubt it.
Anyway, enough preaching for today. (smile) People of God, let’s go home now declaring (yeahh!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so magnanimously bestowed on us so that we can perform His blessed work down here on earth. All together now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts:
‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now let us go out, or stay in, whichever is safer and more practical, and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom…following the guidance of the Holy Spirit…not the lustful, fleshly desires of the evil one…
09 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, all things, Anselm, be thou removed, belief in christ, believe it before you see it, believe you can, believing, birds of the air, cast into the sea, castigated, circumstances, come to Jesus, corner stones, curse the fig tree, decisions, education, faith, fasting, fellowship, friends, glory hallelujah, grow strong in faith, halfway there, ignorance, in the branches, it shall be doen, Jesus' realm, Jesus' work, lodge, LOVE Revolution, nothing shall be impossible, opposition, Praise the Lord, prayer, product, say unto this mountain, seeing is believing, shenanigans, social media, stepping up to the plate, technological advancement, the disciples, the Father's business, the Word of god, turbulent times, two cents worth, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, ye shall receive
Matthew 21:22. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Ah mih people, the sun is shining brightly outside, the gloominess has been lifted, but please be careful because the weather isn’t completely done with its frustrating shenanigans! (smile)
Yeh, yuh still hearing about the likelihood of getting all the different kinds of winter weather over the weekend, and the place is still white with ice and snow, and the wind is still blowing strong, but we not going to let it bother us. Like the workingman says in his song, we going to do our thing, regardless of what kind of weather shows up! Amen!
And since it’s Saturday, and we have good reasons to sleep in, (smile) let’s check out some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first quote is interesting: ‘I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.’
Now I don’t know if that is completely true nuh, because oftimes our decisions are made because of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. So though the decisions may seal the deal, they can always be leveraged by the circumstances.
And the next one says: ‘The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.’ And believe me, a lot of people will try to stop you, possibly more than will allow you to do what you want to do, especially in these turbulent times of technological advances and the rise of social media, where every fool and his brother can introduce their two cents worth without revealing their identities.
But friends, all that foolishness should not stop us in stepping up to the plate and valiantly and powerfully doing what Jesus requires of us. Remember, He had plenty opposition too, but that never stopped Him from doing the Father’s business, and neither should we let whatever opposition comes against us stop us from doing His work.
Then there’s: ‘Education costs money. But then so does ignorance.’ Gospel truth that! (smile) But somehow or the other, I believe that in this day and age education is costing a whole lot more than ignorance.
You really don’t have to do much of anything to obtain ignorance nuh, just let the world go by without paying much attention to it, and you will end up ignorant, like so many of us unfortunately are today. We not even paying attention to the good free stuff like Jesus and His LOVE Revolution, so how can we be anything else but ignorant eh?
And then this last quote says: ‘Believe you can and you’re halfway there.’ I don’t know if you’ll be quite halfway there, but your strong belief in whatever you’re doing is certainly going to get you over the top. It’s like the Chinese Proverb advocates: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’
And most definitely, the first crucial step in any undertaking is to believe that you can do it, otherwise your odds of success will be greatly lowered. That’s just the way the Lord set up His universe. That’s why Jesus castigated the disciples with these words, when they queried why they could not heal a mentally ill young boy.
‘And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt.17:20-21)
Yeh friends, we do indeed need even a small grain of belief before we can do anything successfully. Jesus even talked earlier about the parable of the mustard seed: ‘Which indeed is the least of (smallest of) all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among the herbs (greater than the other herbs), and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge (rest, sleep) in the branches thereof.’ (Matt.13:32)
So friends, you see that all things start with small beginnings, and that also applies to our faith, our belief in Christ Jesus; we start with a small grain of faith or belief, then as time goes on and we water and feed it with the right nutrients- i.e. the Word of God, prayer and fellowship- our faith will grow stronger and stronger, and just like the mustard tree, we will be able to help others come to Jesus and grow strong in faith too. Glory Hallelujah!
And likewise, when Jesus put a curse on the bare fig tree, and the disciples marvelled at how quickly it withered away: ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:21-22)
Yes my people, belief and believing are the corner stones to doing anything successfully in this world…and even more so in Jesus’ realm. So let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh (smile) and start truly believing, because without true belief, we will never see Jesus! Much LOVE!
…the world says…seeing is believing…but Jesus says…believe it…then you will see it…
P.S. It nice and short and sweet today. (smile) Praise the Lord! Much LOVE!
06 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a reflection, abound. more and more, abstain, abundance, an easy row to hoe, approve things, at the name of Jesus, attributes, before men, christianity, come to the Lord, conduct, courage, curse, discernment, endurance, eternal life, every knee shall bow, every tongue declare, evil, evildoers, excellent, fear God, fight the good fight, filled with, finished the work, fleshly lusts, foolish men, Gentiles, glorify your Father, God's standards, good example, good works, honest, honour all men, honourable, ignorance, in heaven, in the form of God, Jesus is Lord, let your light so shine, LOVE, LOVE the brotherhood, made of himself, maliciousness, moral conduct, negative word, no reputation, perseverance, pilgrims, put to silence, rat-race, rise again, run the race, safety, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, servants of god, sincere, strangers, succour, talent, thanks and praise, the cross, the day of Christ, the day of visitation, the fruits of righteousness, the straight and narrow path, the will of God, they may see your good works, Thursday Blessings, to the glory of the Father, Triune God, trustworthy Spirit, war against the soul, well doing, without offense
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.
So what’s up this Thursday morning eh my people? I do hope that we all gave sincere thanks and praise to our great God when we joyfully awoke to a new day. And then, asked for His wonderful and ever-trustworthy Spirit to lead and guide us on the straight and narrow path all through our eventful day.
In fact, that’s how we ought to begin each and everyday my believing brethren; with sincere thanks and praise and a strong desire to be led by the best guide in this evil and crazy world, the Holy Spirit of our Triune God! Amen!
And then, having done that, we need to get out there and fight the good fight, run a strong race of endurance and perseverance in Jesus’ name, so that we can bring all the glory to our heavenly Father! That’s why our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made the time immemorial statement in our Bit: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Yeh friends, it’s all about showing our good works, to the heathen; living by shining example, walking our talk, so that they can see the great benefit in our way of life and come to the Lord for safety and succour, salvation and eternal life.
Here’s how Peter puts it: ‘Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation (conduct) honest (honourable) among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation….
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness (evil), but as servants of God. Honour all men, LOVE the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.’ (1 Pet.2:11-12, 15-17) I didn’t say it friends, but Peter. (smile) And he walked with Jesus, so obviously he knew what Jesus desired of His followers.
Now hear Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil.1:9-13)
Yes friends, as true believers we are expected to live up to a code of moral conduct and behaviour that lives up to God’s standards! No, Christianity is not an easy row to hoe, and Jesus made that quite clear; the world is evil and doesn’t like goodness, and we’d suffer just because we believed in Him, but He also promised that if we stayed true to His word, He would lead and guide us with His Holy Spirit and we’d come out the winners in this rat race called life.
And again He specifies that all our good deeds are not for His glory, but for that of the Father. Listen to Him with the disciples: ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:7-8) One proviso there though my people; we need to ask it all in Jesus’ name, doing it the way He wants it done, abiding by His will.
And Listen to Jesus once again as His time had come and He prays for His own. ‘These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power (authority) over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with (alongside) thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.’ (John 17:1-5)
Yeh friends, our Lord and Saviour was preparing Himself to go to the cross, rise again and be glorified by the Father on our behalf, also bringing them back to the wonderful relationship they had before all the nonsense that sin caused in the world. And I think it’s only fitting that we consider this passage of scripture in showing Jesus’ desire to glorify His heavenly Father.
In the immortal words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians: ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (coming) in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:5-11)
That says it all friends! All our efforts on this earth ought to be aimed at glorifying our heavenly Father! Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, which our magnanimous heavenly Father have bestowed on those of us who try our best to glorify Him.
All together in loud and sincere voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And since a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone, let’s go out and share them nuh, like Jesus so greatly desires of us! Much LOVE!
…the Lord made man…to be a reflection of His wonderful attributes…and to glorify His Holy Name…
29 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lazy day, a rest day, a shadow, anger, appreciative, awesome, be the same, believers, blessed, come from thee, compassionate heart, courage, curse, days on earth, declared over, deeper my love, desire, disobedient children, disrespect, everything we possess is God's, faith, favour, flooding, forgiveness, generosity, generous, give strength, glorious things, glory, goodness, grace, greatness, hard to believe, honour, I owe, ignorance, in thine hand, in your life, into His fold, joyful, knowing you, lose track, LOVE, magnanimous, magnificent, medical appointments, mercy, might, negarive word, obedient to His will, offer so willingly, on his wrong side, One Year Book of Bible promises, overflowing with LOVE, power, praise thy glorious name, prayer, productive stuff, prosper, put into words, riches, Ruth Harms Calkin, share, sincere faith, sojourners, strangers, succeed, surging peace, sweeps my life, take advantage of, thanksgiving, the right time, there are no words, therefore our God, Thursday Blessings, to make great, to your goodness, toward God, traipsing, transforming power, unconditional LOVE, victory, warm the cockles of Jesus' heart, wayward, we thank thee, wisdom, wonder-filled things, words of truth, wrath
1 Chronicles 29:13. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
And so it’s Thursday…Already? Yeh! That’s what happens when you spend the first two days of the week traipsing into the big city for medical appointments; you lose track of both the days and the time and nothing productive gets done at home. Yesterday was a rest day…not a lazy day. (smile) So let’s hope some productive stuff can be accomplished today…and yuh better believe there is a lot to be accomplished! (smile)
And to help us get on the productive side, here is this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘There Are No Words.’ Please pray with me: ‘How can I put into words, my Lord The flooding, transforming power That sweeps my life because of You?
How can I explain to anyone The soaring, surging peace That You alone can give? All the wonder-filled things in my life All the joyful, glorious things I owe to Your goodness, Your grace, Your LOVE. Nothing is ever the same since knowing You. And the longer I know You The deeper my LOVE!’
Oh my people, my people, what awesome words of truth are contained in that short poem! Every line is filled with gospel truth regarding our great God! Oh friends, once you get to know Him, NOTHING will ever be the same in your life! For when you begin to truly experience, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness, and above all His unconditional LOVE…
Oh Mama Mia! The change in your life will be so awesome and so magnificent that you’ll be left wondering what kind of life you lived before, and why didn’t you get to know the Lord before this? But it just wasn’t the right time! Have no fear, when He’s ready for you, He brings you into His fold in ways you cannot imagine, until they happen.
But please note one thing friends; our God might be magnanimous and magnificent, but He’s no push over! He might have a soft heart for His wayward, disobedient children, but don’t think you can take advantage of His goodness, because if you ever feel His wrath…Hn! It can be just as great as His goodness and mercy and LOVE!
So please try your best not to get on His wrong side, although when you come to know and LOVE Him, that’s sort of difficult to do. Why? Because you’ll be overflowing with such LOVE and desire to be obedient to His will, that mistakes will more likely be of ignorance than of purposeful disrespect.
And to celebrate all that we’ve said, I don’t think there’s a more appropriate passage in scripture to describe it than Bruh David’s words of prayer and thanksgiving, when he was raising funds to build the Lord’s temple. Please read and pray with me: ‘Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
But who am I, and what is thy people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners (temporary dwellers), as were all our fathers: our days on earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding (no hope for any).
O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.’ (1 Chr.29:10-16)
What beautiful words of prayer and thanksgiving my brethren…and also of truth! Oh friends, until we recognize, and realize, and understand that everything we posses is God’s and comes from Him, we’ll never be able to truly appreciate all that we have, and give Him the kind of thanks and praise He deserves.
That’s the basic difference between Bruh David’s time and ours. They seemed to know where there goodness came from, so they could afford to be generous toward the Lord. But in our time, generosity towards the Lord and His purpose…Hn! It’s like pulling teeth! Because we don’t truly recognize the source of all our goodness and grace and mercy.
Anyway friends, let’s hope that all we’ve said and read today touches our hearts and souls and makes us more appreciative of what our heavenly Father does in our earthly lives when we truly come to know Him. So let’s go home now, shouting out loud and proud, the great blessings He’s showered down on us believers, as found in our Thursday Blessings.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now, two things to remember; Blessings aren’t blessings until they are shared and declared over someone! So let’s go out and warm the cockles of Jesus’ heart by doing those two things nuh! Much LOVE!
…truly knowing our great God is so amazing…that sometimes…without sincere faith… it’s hard to believe…
26 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a lively hope, abundant mercy, begotten us, believed in Him, believing is seeing, blessed, child of God, complaining, don't fear, dream about, dwell securely in hope, eagerly wait, education is expensive, evacuated, face persecution, face the rigours, feel inferior, Friend Anselm, glory to God, Hawaii, holy spirit, hope, hoping, hungry hope, ignorance, inferior to anyone, inspire us, joyful expectancy, keep on keeping on, lava, look forward to, my flesh shall rest, my heart is glad, never give up, our Lord Jesus Christ, our sins forgiven, overcome the world, patience, perseverance, prisoners of hope, resurrection of Jesus, rise to life eternal, saved by hope, seeing is believing, sinless life, spend eternity with Christ, the cross at Calvary, the God and Father, the Lord at my right hand, the most exciting thing in life, the resurrection of Christ, tough times, unconditional LOVE, volcano, wisdom, working for Jesus, worry
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Well friends, it’s somewhat cloudy outside on this Saturday morning, but that’s no reason to think we won’t eventually have another glorious day. Technically it’s spring, but does it ever feel like summer. Last night I had to get up and change my T. shirt because I woke up with it soaking wet, even though my bedroom window was wide open. Please note, I’m not complaining, just making a point (smile). I will take that situation over the winter cold any day.
Unfortunately though, the Big Island of Hawaii is experiencing more heat than an ordinary summer because the volcano just keeps bubbling and releasing lava down its slopes. Houses have now been swallowed up by the molten rock and people are being evacuated, as it doesn’t seem to be easing up.
I guess the good thing is that it hasn’t erupted with full force spewing its molten guts all over the place. At least this way there is time to evacuate residents who are in immediate danger. Let’s keep on praying for them.
And today being Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes that we received from our friend Anselm this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly amusing. ‘If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.’ But nonetheless it’s true! At least with education you have some idea what it’s all about, but with ignorance, you’re completely lost.
Now here is an important one. ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ And is that ever true friends! Inferiority is something we allow or bring on ourselves. No matter how much someone else may think they are better than us, because of their wealth, power, or social position, it only holds true if we believe it too.
So please stop thinking you’re inferior to ANYONE! NO child of God is inferior to any other! We were all made the same way and for the same purpose by Almighty God and He LOVES us all unconditionally, regardless of our circumstances or behaviour!
And the next quote wisely advises: ‘Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.’ Ah mih people, the first sentence is paramount: ‘Never give up.’ As followers of Jesus we are not supposed to do that because giving up does not exist in His vocabulary.
He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that we could be saved, our sins forgiven, and that we’d be imbued through the work of His Holy Spirit with whatever we need to face the rigours of this world.
And Jesus didn’t mince words, He told us that we’d face persecution and tough times simply because we believed in Him, but that He had already overcome the world, so we had no need to fear or worry, just keep on keeping on in His name! That means to keep on hoping, which makes our last quote invaluable:
‘Hope is the most exciting thing there is in life!’ Glory to God my people, that is gospel truth! Without hope we have nothing to look forward to. But with hope, we have everything to look forward to and dream about! With hope in our hearts, ANYTHING is possible, especially if we are believers in Jesus, the ONE who can do ANYTHING!
And there are a couple of expressions about hope that I just LOVE: ‘the first talks about ‘hungry hope, and the second, about ‘prisoners of hope.’ Mama Mia! And as true followers of Jesus we need to possess the first and be one of the latter, if we want to lead a successful earthly life working for Jesus. And the thing about hope friends is its power to bring expectancy, joyful expectancy to our lives.
And there are so many passages of scripture that deal with hope that we only have time and space for a few. First, check out our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’
Oh my fellow believers that’s the greatest hope we can ever have; to spend eternity with Christ, because He rose from the dead, we too shall rise to life eternal!
And then there is this famous passage from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which we all know. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) That’s the power of hope friends, believing without seeing, then keeping on in eager expectation of its eventual arrival.
And we’ll close with these encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Oh my faithful brethren, this Saturday morning, I implore us, if the Lord is at our right hand, then let’s be filled with hungry hope and be strong prisoners of hope nuh! And consequently, let our hearts be glad and rejoice in the glory of our great God, and rest, dwell securely in His hope. That’s wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…the world says…seeing is believing…but God says…hoping and believing is true seeing…
13 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a living sacrifice, a new name, abuse his holy name, amenities, atonement, Calvary, cleansing, earthly living, eternally separated, foolishness, gain access to God, gave up the ghost, grateful, halfway home, happiness, heavenly intercessor, high priest, holy space of God, hope, I am the way, ignorance, Jesus, joy, LOVE, make ends meet, meaning, no man comes to the Father, No one is guaranteed happiness, not looking back, on the outside looking in, panacea, physical things, put in the effort, remove God, rent in twain, sacrifice, Second Coming of Jesus, serving Jesus, sinful souls, space, the best life possible, the breath of life, the cross, the earth did quake, the Good Book, the high life, the Life, the rocks split, the sinless One, the Truth, time, truthful proclamation, unconditional LOVE, ungodly lifestyle, ungratefulness, veil of the temple, washing, Wednesday Wail
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Oh friends, it’s one of those days; the ole fella does not know what to say this Wednesday morning. Hn! Imagine that nuh! (smile)
I slept the night away and got up feeling worse than when I went to bed. Can you believe it? But that was just my ignorance, for I knew that if lay in bed too long my back would act up something terrible.
But I just refused to get out of the bed. If people could lie in bed for ten to twelve hours straight, why couldn’t I do it for a mere five or six eh? And now I’m paying the price. But that’s okay, because I have a rather appropriate quote for us from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster.
It says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’ End of story!
Yeh friends, it’s up to us to make our lives as joyful and meaningful as we can. Nobody else can do that for us. We have to put in the effort to make our lives whatever we want them to be. And believe me, that’s not always easy, since most of us want to live what is considered the high life, which is not easy to attain or maintain.
But I’ll let us into a li’l secret here (smile)… serving Jesus is the way to live the best life possible here on earth, and even into eternity. And if you doubt that, hear what He says in our Bit. ’I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’
What an awesome statement my brethren! But it’s true! NO ONE else has ever made, or been able to make such an enormous and truthful proclamation! Only through Jesus can we gain access to our heavenly Father.
Remember how it was before Jesus? There was a heavy veil that covered the holy space of God within the tabernacle and only the high priest could enter there once a year to make sacrifice and atonement for man.
But note when Jesus gave up the ghost on that cross at Calvary, the Good Book declares: ‘And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain (torn in two) from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent (split).’ (Matt.27:51)
Yes my people, the tearing down of that oppressive veil opened the way for each and every one to come to the Father through Jesus! Wow! How amazing and reassuring is that eh? From then on Jesus became our high priest and heavenly intercessor, giving us individual access to the Father.
And all of that was done out of the Father’s great and unconditional LOVE for us, His sinful and disobedient children. That’s why we should be eternally grateful to both the Father, who offered His only Son, Jesus, as a living sacrifice, and to Jesus who willingly paid the enormous price for the cleansing and washing of our abominably sinful souls.
Only Jesus, the sinless One, could have paid the exorbitant price the Father required to wash our sins away. And now we refuse to live for Him, abuse His holy name, doing our best to remove Him completely from our society. What ungratefulness my people, what ignorance and foolishness!
Please note what’s happening to our society as we try to remove God from it. Our lives are getting rougher and tougher despite all the supposed amenities we now have. Nobody is really happy, and we have to work harder and longer to just make ends meet.
It just goes to show that the physical things and the ungodly lifestyle that the world wants us to adopt are not the panacea for earthly living. JESUS IS! And until we get around to truly believing that and living it, our world won’t get any better. In fact we’ll just keep wallowing in the mire of sin and ungodliness and keep being unhappy and strife-filled.
Oh friends, I don’t know what else to say to make us believe that Jesus is the WAY nuh. I guess most of us won’t give Him a try until we hit rock bottom. But don’t worry, whenever and however we come to Him, He will always receive us with open, LOVING arms, for that’s how magnanimous He is.
But please don’t put it off until it’s too late. He is coming back a second time, in all His magnificence and splendour, and if you’re not a member of His flock then, you will be eternally separated from Him and the Father, and end up on the outside looking in. And I can guarantee that that won’t be a very good situation.
Now for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail as we go joyfully marching home. (smile) ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh, how great it is to live for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…hope has a new name…that name is JESUS…
29 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, artesian well, assurance, Beelzebub, belief, believe, blessed, bounden duty, bread, bread from heaven, bread of life, challenge, comes down from heaven, confidence, crapaud smoke we pipe, dissatisfaction, doubt, empty days, encourage, eternal, evil minions, flowers, fortify, freed me, glad to be alive, glorious kingdom, gloriously rich, glory hallelujah, God of glory, halfway home, hearts unfold, heaven, honest surrender, hunger, I'm not looking back, ignorance, immortal gladness, impoverished heart, Irreversible, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful joyful, life, life-changing thoughts, Lord and Saviour, Lord of love, LOVE, manna, melt the clouds, Moses, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, never hunger, never thirst, One Year Book of Bible promises, opening to the sun above, personal lives, positive vibes, praise and worship, Ruth Harms Calkin, sadness, seeking signs, sheer joy, signs, sin, spiritual, surrender, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the dark of doubt, the lake of fire, the light of day, the true bread, they that have not seen, thirst, thoughts, unmoved, uplift one's soul, vibes, vim and vigour, we adore you, Wednesday Wail, well, wisdom, wonders
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Awright friends, let’s begun the show with a li’l praise and worship nuh, like we ought to. Let’s sing the first two verses of the beautiful hymn, ‘Joyful, joyful…’
In full voice now: ‘Joyful, joyful, we adore You, God of glory, Lord of LOVE, Hearts unfold like flowers before You, Opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day Hallelujah we adore You! Hallelujah! Amen! Amen! Amen!’
Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing rendition! Nothing like giving thanks and praise to uplift one’s soul! Now let’s keep up the positive vibes by getting into this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Irreversible Yes.’
And it says: ‘God, You have done A beautiful thing for me. You have freed me from the dissatisfaction Of so many empty days and months. Into my impoverished heart You have poured life-changing thoughts of You Making each new day gloriously rich.
You have struck a deep artesian well in my soul As sheer joy springs forth. All because in an act of honest surrender When life had lost its challenge I said an irreversible YES to You!’
Oh friends, that’s the joy and beauty that springs forth when we say an irreversible ‘YES’ to God! Glory Hallelujah!
Those who refuse to say yes to Him, surely don’t know what they’re missing nuh, but it’s our bounden duty to point it out to them through our words and the godly actions of our lives. So please let’s do that sincerely and diligently nuh, so that we can glorify our heavenly Father and spur on His glorious kingdom as we ought to!
And we not done yet mih people; more positive vibes to come as we declare our Wednesday Wail with plenty vim and vigour, showing that we truly believe and mean it. (smile)
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers, am I ever glad to be alive, having Almighty God’s awesome breath of life flowing through me this Wednesday morning at then end of June 2016! I surely hope you are too. For what good is being alive if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever!
And if we’re happy to be alive, then we need to do the things that keep the joy surging forth in our spirits, meaning keeping our hands firmly to the plough and focusing on the future, that glorious future that Jesus has planned for us.
And all God’s people declared a loud and thankful ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is also the promise upon which the ‘Irreversible Yes’ poem was based. And it’s such a simple but awesomely powerful statement made by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. ‘I am that bread of life.’
What confidence and assurance our Saviour displays! Earlier on, He’s been trying to teach His listeners about what truly matters. They were seeking signs of Him that would encourage and fortify their belief. Then they taunted Him by saying: ‘Our father’s did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ (John 6:31)
I guess Jesus spirit must have been moved, and He sadly shook His head at their ignorance. ‘Then said Jesus unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.’ (John 6:32-34)
No doubt the hungry crowd was thinking in terms of physical bread, but Jesus was talking about spiritual stuff. ‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35)
What a powerful statement friends! The problem though, is do we believe it, or are we like those who heard it spoken from Christ’s lips, but remained unmoved? I certainly hope that we do believe it with all our souls, bodies, hearts and minds, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Why do I say that? Listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘6:35. I am the bread of life means the bread that gives life. The life of which He speaks is spiritual and eternal.’
Oh my people, that means if we don’t believe we won’t have eternal life! And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human being! Just imagine being eventually cast into the lake of fire with Beelzebub and all his evil minions nuh? Think what it would be like to endure such tribulation?
Yuh think our earthly trials and tribulations are bad? Well that will take the cake! And all because we did not believe the simple words of our Lord and Saviour. It boggles my mind to think that so many of them saw the signs and wonders He did here on earth and yet still refused to believe.
Oh friends, we didn’t see those personally, but thankfully we do believe, and our belief is strong and irrepressible because in these modern times, He’s also wrought signs and wonders in our personal lives.
Let’s keep on believing friends, and keep on doing what He desires of us, for that is undoubtedly the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…blessed are they that have not seen…and yet have believed… (John 20:29b)
29 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leap year., adrenalin, as for me and mine, asaph, aura of love, be ye holy, blessings, burdened, conduct, confidence, confuse, conquerors, Creator of the universe, destruction, discipline, earthly domain, enthusiasm, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, fool your fat, for I am holy, forsake, freedom of choice, friends, further your glorious kingdom, gird up the loins of your mind, grace, harmony, holiness, holy spirit, hope to the end, humble servants, ignorance, intoxicate, invincible, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, jobs, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, lusts, material possessions, meet the enemy in battle, mental, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedient children, on the cross, praise Your Holy Name, prosperity, renewed vitality, resolutions, revelation of Jesus, righteousness., salvation, slippery places, so great a God, sober, spiritual armour, spiritual being, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the heathen, the kingdom of God, the sanctuary, the straight and narrow path, thy way O God, tolerate sin, trust, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, we will follow the Lord, wealthy, weary souls, why hast thou forsaken me, wickedness, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 77:13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?
Ah friends, isn’t it insightful and mysterious how our God made this last day of February in this leap year of 2016 to fall on the day we most LOVE to hate? (smile)
Yes precious people of God, it’s Monday, when our time of weekly labour generally begins. Are we up to it today? Have we rested and fellowshipped sufficiently yesterday so that we can go our bright and beautiful today to face the big world and all its evil? I certainly do hope so?
But just in case we have not taken the Lord’s advice and refreshed our spirits on the first day of the week, Sunday, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to encourage us. So let’s declare it with much enthusiasm and harmony.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t a bad rendition at all! And most important, it did bring a small smile from Jesus, our choir director.
Now, having our Adrenalin levels raised and our motors running smoothly, let’s go out and put all that stuff into action nuh; show the heathen the true beauty of being a believer in Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’
Oh my people, my people, that’s a great statement and a wonderful question, both in the same sentence. Let’s see how we can explain and expand upon them nuh.
First of all, our God is a holy God. That means, by His very nature He is unable to tolerate sin, evil, and wickedness of any kind. Yuh see, even when His only Son Jesus was burdened down on the cross with our sins, He could have no part of Him, He had to forsake Him, although His heart was breaking in a million pieces, so that things could be made right.
Note Jesus’ plaintive cry: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) That was the ONLY time ever that the Father has ever left Him on His own. But it was necessary, if we were to be cleansed and reconciled to the Father.
And then in God’s house, His ‘sanctuary,’ is where His holiness can best be found and sometimes understood. As the psalmist Asaph say in Psalm 73, when he was being tortured by the prosperity of the wicked. ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.’ (Ps.73:17-18)
Yes friends, only when Asaph entered God’s house and communed with Him, did he understand the destruction that the wicked face, despite their worldly prosperity.
Now sadly, thousands of years later many, too many, of us are still afflicted by Asaph’s jealousy of the prosperity of the wicked.
Precious people, please don’t travel that road, because it is one that only leads to destruction and eternal separation from Almighty God. It’s true that the wicked seem to prosper in this earthly domain, but in the heavenly one they will not even come near the gates.
It’s understood that our sinful human nature makes us gravitate towards material possessions, but they don’t last, and we can’t carry them with us when we return to the dust of which we were formed. So why waste our lives fighting to get them eh?
Jesus says if we seek the Father first; ‘the kingdom of God and his righteousness,’ then all the earthly stuff we need will be given to us. (Matt.6:33)
Now we all might not made be wealthy and otherwise, but we will never lack for anything. And don’t fool your fat, there are many wealthy Christians in the world, you just won’t know or see it because they don’t display their wealth like a lot of the wicked do, and they use it for purposes that glorify God and furthers His kingdom. So being a child of God doesn’t mean you can’t ever be wealthy, it’s just how you get it and how you use it.
And we’ll end with these wise and very instructive words of Peter. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace (rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation (second coming) of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct).’ (1 Pet.1:13-15)
There we have it friends, the call to be holy. It calls for serious inner resolution, accompanied by personal discipline and outward conduct. We can’t afford to let anything confuse or intoxicate our mental and spiritual beings.
Now God in His wisdom gave us freedom of choice, which means it’s up to each individual to choose his own path. Let’s hope that most, if not all of us will choose the straight and narrow path that leads to God, but as for me and mine, we WILL follow the Lord, because that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…it is written…be ye holy…for I am holy… (1 Pet.1:16)
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