30 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday stroll in the park, a thorn in the flesh, an inexact science, be glad with exceeding joy, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, blasphemed, blessed are ye, climate change, constant prayer, for my sake, glory in my infirmities, god's grace is always enough, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus - the veritable anchor of our lives, LOVE, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, on their part he is evil spoken of, on your part he is glorified, persecute you, rejoice, say all manner of evil against you, share His love with the world, the Beatitudes, the eternal destiny of all things, the fiery trial which is to try you, the power of Christ may rest upon me, think it not strange, to test our faith, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, weather forecasting, when his glory shall be revealed, when I am weak then I am strong, when men shall revile you, worry, ye are partakers of Christ's suffering
2 Corinthians 12:9a. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.
Well, it seems like today we might at last get some of the rain promised yesterday, after strong winds blew away the rain clouds. The skies are dark outside and a sprinkle of heavenly blessing has already fallen. But who knows, in these days of climate change anything is possible. So many times in the recent past we’ve been promised rain, and did see dark clouds all around, but no rain fell, at least in my area. (smile)
But just to show how crazy our world has gotten, I recently read that in some eastern European country, two top meteorologists were fired when they forecasted a big storm for some national holiday and thus all the celebrations were postponed. But unfortunately, no storm happened. Imagine the ignorance in that nuh! Weather forecasting is an inexact science, so you can’t hold the forecasters to any rigid details, especially when our weather patterns have recently changed and are still changing as we speak.
But I guess that’s life in these modern times. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to have Jesus as the foundation, the veritable anchor in our lives, so that those kinds of unfortunate things don’t get us too down and eventually drive us crazy. And to help us handle the madness of today’s world, promises of Jesus, like this one, should be indelibly stenciled in the forefront of our minds: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Now that’s a most reassuring scripture! It won’t always change our circumstances, but it will surely help us to handle those circumstances in a more positive manner, driving away the desire to give up on our faith and our lives. And per the earthly life, that’s one of the major reasons to believe in Jesus. He doesn’t take away all our problems, but helps us to handle them in a positive manner.
Too many of us supposed believers though, think that as soon as we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour that life will just run as smoothly as a rippling stream. But that’s a total fallacy, for sometimes life gets more complicated with more problems as Jesus allows stuff to enter our lives to test our faith, to see how strong we really are. And whatever comes against us, God will give us all the grace we need to handle the situation. We need to believe that very deeply.
And we have the perfect example of that in Bruh Paul’s situation in 2 Corinthians 12, where he had some thorn in his flesh, nobody knows for sure what it was, some malady, sickness or affliction that was obviously causing him problems and three times he asked the Lord to take it away but the Lord refused, telling him: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
So, sometimes when we pray for relief from a problem, that’s the kind of answer we may receive, and then we must do like Bruh Paul did when he received that answer to his problem. He went on to say: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities (weaknesses), that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.’ (2 Cor, 12:9b-10)
Yes friends, though it’s never easy, sometimes we just have to grin and bear our problems, knowing that the grace of God is always with us, even when we seem to be at our lowest and most hurting point. All of us have strengths and weaknesses, and as we glory in the strengths, so should we accept the weaknesses or flaws, knowing that God will not allow them to destroy us, if we are faithful to Him and His word.
Oh, living the real Christian life was never meant to be easy, a Sunday stroll in the park, but it surely is an interesting life, with all sorts of unexpected adventures, both good and bad. And when the bad ones come upon us, we need to remember these soul-searching words of Peter, as he writes about us being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as (to the extent that) ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings: that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.’ (1 Pet. 4:12-14)
Yes mih bredrin, we will all suffer some kind of reproach or insult on Christ’s behalf, but we need to take it in our stride and not always react in the same manner, but consider it a blessing, because the Spirit of God dwells within us and gives us the power and the grace to handle whatever comes against us in Jesus’ name. Remember how Jesus said it in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:11-12)
And yes, it will be difficult to rejoice when you are being persecuted, be it physically or through slander and blasphemy. But the scholars offer this interesting explanation of that last verse. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase Rejoice, and be exceeding glad means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focusses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Now that’s saying a mouthful, but it’s the awesome truth. If all that we believe is true, then the earthly troubles we encounter are no match for the heavenly rewards to come. And we need to believe that and hold on to it tightly, otherwise we won’t be able to handle the earthly problems properly. And the only way to do that successfully is by constantly delving deep in the word of God, talking to Him through constant prayer, and fellowshipping regularly with other believers!
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live that way, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we proudly belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and confident 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 the world. Amen!’
And now my fellow believers, it behooves us 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!
…God’s grace is never in short supply…there’s always enough to see us through every problem…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spiritual priority, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, Christianity is faith in action, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, faith if it hath not works is dead, faith in action, I will show thee my faith be my works, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, let not your heart be troubled, let the chips fall where they please, LOVE, negative word, on the homestretch, our bounden duty, Peace i leave with you, promotion, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-control, show me thy faith without thy works, sitting on the sidelines, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, Thursday Blessings, tomorrow never comes
James 2:18. …show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
Well, we on the homestretch now friends; it’s Thursday and we counting down to that day we all so look forward to, Friday and the exciting possibilities of the weekend. But we have to get through Thursday before we ever arrive at Friday, so let’s just concentrate on doing that nuh, and let the chips fall wherever they please when Friday comes. As Jesus so wisely said: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34)
Ah mih bredrin, unfortunately though many of us worry about what will happen tomorrow and thus don’t pay sufficient attention to today. We don’t live a full life on the present day because our thoughts are slanted too much to tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But yuh know what, some wise person once said, ‘tomorrow never comes.’ And that’s the indisputable truth, for when the day we call tomorrow comes, it comes as today. So, in actual fact, we never live the tomorrows we dream of, it’s always the todays. (smile)
And the scholars offer this very perceptive explanation. They say: ‘When our priority is spiritual, that’s “seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides. We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
Yes friends, when we think too much about what might happen tomorrow, we are not able to give enough attention to the things that are happening today. And if you’ve ever sat down and contemplated the number of times those troubles you expect to happen tomorrow actually take place, I’m sure you’ve noticed that they are certainly not as many as we expected.
So a lot of the stuff we’re concerning ourselves about is merely our projection, our anxiety and worry, and Jesus has already commanded us not to fear or worry. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Then, later on He reiterated the very same sentiments. ‘’These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if we are true followers of Christ then we ought to listen to and believe what He tells us, because He only speaks truth. But too often in this confused and evil world, we allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking that things are so bad that we cannot handle them, or they will never get good and all our fears will come to pass. However, the truth is that as a believer in Christ we can handle ANYTHING that comes against us! For Jesus has promised never to leave nor forsake us, and also that we can do anything through Him, because He strengthens us to accomplish His will!
But we must truly believe all of that stuff and then put it into action into our lives, otherwise it’s of no real use. We’re talking here about faith in action! And that’s really the only kind of faith there is! You can talk all the talk you want and don’t engage your talk, then it’s not faith. As James, Jesus’ brother so correctly points out. ‘Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.’ (James 2: 17-18)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, we must remember that Christianity is simply faith in action! It’s more of a doing, a helping and caring rather than talking concept. Note how Jesus got up every day and went out and did stuff; helped people, healed the sick and suffering, and generally spread His LOVE around to those who needed and wanted it. But He was always doing or going somewhere to do something, except when He was teaching. And remember Jesus also told us that if we had even a li’l bit of faith as a mustard seed, that we could move mountains. (Matt. 17:20)
But we first have to believe it, then put it into action. And that’s where our Christian faith is falling down. There is not enough action on our part in our society. I’m sure you’re seeing how the evil doers, the iniquity workers are doing their best to control the world, while too many of us supposed believers are merely sitting on the sidelines, scared, or just not interested enough to make a positive difference. But we spout a whole lot of foolishness about being Christians. Steups!
We clap and shout and sing ‘Praise the Lord’ in church, but outside of the church in the rough and tough places where we’re desperately needed, we’re nowhere to be found. Read the Good Book friends. Jesus didn’t just sit around talking, He was out there in all the places where the hypocrite Pharisees thought He shouldn’t be. But that’s because He came to save the lost, the sick and suffering, not the righteous. And you can’t save people unless you go where they are or have them come to you.
And that’s exactly what He did, and what He expects of us, His supposed ambassadors down here on earth. And why do you think He was so generous to give us what we call our Thursday Blessings eh? Because we deserved them? Obviously not, but that we could use them to do His work, to help others, teach them of His grace, goodness and mercy, so that they too could come to Him, like we did, and find salvation and relief for their souls.
So, right now, let’s activate those blessings by declaring (yesss!!!) them out loud. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…Christians need to stop talking so much faith…and instead…begin doing plenty more faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a partnership with God, and have it more abundantly, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, by their fruit ye shall know them, Christ's ambassadors, Christianity - love and compassion in action, gifts of grace, go out and make disicples of all nations, hurry, I am come that they might have life, I am the beloved of god, I have commanded you, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, live a hypocritical life, live each day as fully as possible, live the abundant life here on earth, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, share His love with the world, slavation and eternal life, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, teaching them to observe all things, the thief comes only to steal and destroy, to give you an expected end, trust my friend, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them.
Oh friends, can you believe it’s already the second of August? August just began yesterday, and we’re already into the second day. (smile) But that’s what life is all about, moving forward, and as such we can only live one day at a time, so please let’s put some more energy into living each day as fully and as godly as possible nuh. It’s all for our benefit!
That’s one of the reasons why Christ sacrificed His sinless and holy life on the cross, so that we could live an abundant life right down here on earth, and not wait until we get to heaven to enjoy His many blessings. And many of us don’t enjoy the good life because we believe that we were not meant to enjoy life on earth, but that’s oh so wrong. The kingdom of God begins right here on earth when we believe, surrender and put our sincere trust in Christ Jesus!
Please, let’s put these significant and magnificent words of Jesus at the centre of our hearts, minds and souls this Tuesday morning nuh. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) Yes my faithful brethren, Jesus came that we might enjoy this earthly life, even though it may be difficult and unpredictable.
Listen to these marvellous words of His nuh. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Wow mih people! What an awesome statement! And if you’re a sincere believer then you know His words are true and thus there is no need to live anxious and afraid, or not to enjoy the life He’s so graciously granted us down here on earth.
Too many of us go about sad and despondent, without hope and faith, especially when tough times come against us. But friends, that’s the very purpose of hope and faith; to be able to handle those hard times successfully. That’s why we have such awesome promises like ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13)
And then there’s this big and ever powerful promise that covers everything. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) What a magnificent promise and encouraging word! It gives us the faith and strength to believe that even if things don’t work out good for us every day, in the long run though, our great God will make it all come together for our benefit.
But we have to believe, to truly believe and put all Jesus’ promises into action if we are to live the abundant life that He died for us to have. We just can’t be wishy washy Christians, going about like the world with no sense of purpose, but we must be sincere, diligent, purposeful, and always eagerly expecting good things to happen. Like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) says: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. And something good is going to happen through me today!’
Yes, that’s what Christ died to give us, ‘an expected end, a future and a hope.’ But we have first have to take hold of it and then hold on to it tightly. It won’t just fall into our laps and stay there and automatically lift us up. No! We have to put forth the effort to enjoy the benefits. Remember, we are in partnership with God, meaning that both partners have a job to do to make the partnership successful.
And the fact is that God has already done His part, giving us Jesus to ensure that salvation and good fellowship with Him is possible. Now it’s time for us to do our part and accept His awesome but also free gifts of grace, mercy, salvation and everlasting life in His magnificent presence! Nothing else in the whole wide world can be better than that! Nothing else even comes close my people!
However, we are doing ourselves and Christ a big disservice when we don’t sincerely take up His promises and live the lives He desires us to live. In other words, we’re making His sacrifice of no real importance, insinuating that He wasted His precious time and life to come to earth to save us woeful sinners. And refusing the gifts that Jesus died for us to have is the biggest insult, the most woeful crime or sin we can ever commit, especially if we go around telling others that we are Christians, followers of Christ, and don’t truly live for Him.
But that’s what many of us do, live a hypocritical life, and why Christianity isn’t taken as seriously as it ought to be. Remember friends, we are Christ’s ambassadors down here, and whatever we project will reflect on Him. And if we don’t project the right thing, salt and light, then no one will ever want to come Him, because they would have seen nothing in us that makes it worthwhile.
And the last thing Jesus told us to do was to ‘go out and make disciples of all the nations of the world, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
Now my fellow saints in Christ, the question is, are we doing as Jesus asked, to the best of our ability? And if we’re truthful, we’ll all answer a resounding, ‘NO!’ Because we are not bearing enough good fruit. And what did Jesus say about bearing good fruit? ‘Wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them.’ (Matt. 7:23) So please, let’s take some time today to ponder our fruit bearing situation nuh; see if we are bearing any fruit at all, and if so, is it good or bad. That’s our homework for today. (smile)
Now, for those of us who are trying our best to live for Christ, 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, proud 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 the world. Amen!’
It’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Christianity is like Jesus showed it…LOVE and compassion in action…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Mar 2022
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, a joy and pleasure to live for Jesus, according to the riches of his glory, be of good cheer, born to manifest the Glory of God, but the darkness comprehendeth it not, fear not, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God will provide all our needs, have seen a great light, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I can trust my friend Jesus, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, lest darkness come upon you, let not your heart be troubled, Let your light so shine before men, liberated from our fear, LOVE Revolution, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, our presence automatically liberates others, Peace i leave with you, playing small doesn't serve the world, shall have the light of life, share His love with the world, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the day-spring from on high, the light shineth in the darkness, the people that walked in darkness, they may see your good works, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, this is the day the Lord has made, to guide our feet in the way of peace, Tuesday Mantra, upon them hath the light shined, walk while ye have the light, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Ye are the light of the world, you are a child of God
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Oh friends, it’s a bright sunshiny morning in my neighbourhood! This Tuesday morning in early spring, there’s nary a dark cloud in the sky! It’s so bright that I had to put on my dark glasses as I went to put out the garbage just now, else it would have blinded me! (smile) And it doesn’t even feel as cold as it did yesterday afternoon when I went out to the mailbox!
Wow! That gives us the reassurance to confidently acclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! And don’t forget that something good is going to happen to us today, and something good is also going to happen through us today! That’s because we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us! And furthermore, our great and wonderful God will provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Mama Yo! That’s why it’s such a joy and a pleasure to live for Jesus. No one else provides the benefits and faithful promises that He does. That’s why He reassures in His word: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And don’t forget this other magnificent upliftment for our souls: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 6:33)
And that’s the gospel truth, because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has indeed overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead, thus defeating hell, death, Satan and the grave! Glory Hallelujah! What a wonderful warrior is our Jesus! That’s why one of His favourite terms and words of advice while here on earth was ‘Fear not!’ But we still fear, despite all His entreaties and reassurances.
And truthfully, we can’t ever stop fear from coming upon or against us, but we can certainly stop it from consuming us. This morning though, I want to share a poem on that malicious word ‘fear’ that I found stuck up on the bedroom wall of my young daughter. There’s no title attached to it, so we’ll just call it ‘FEAR!’ I am sure that I’ve shared it before, but in these fearful and turbulent times, it’s certainly worth hearing again.
So please read with me: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
Ah mih people, I couldn’t put it any better! And there’s a lot of truth in that poem, because many of us fear to open up ourselves not wanting to overshadow those around us. But that’s not supposed to be a problem, since when we shine our lights, we give others the encouragement to rise up and shine theirs too. Why do you think Jesus made such a fuss over us being shining lights in this evil world? Because it’s of the utmost importance. We cannot be afraid of this dark and evil world or what it threatens to do to us, because the light of Jesus is greater than any darkness that’s in the world.
Remember John’s contention: ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (could not overcome it).’ (John 1:5) Yes friends light always opens up darkness, and the light of Jesus is the most powerful light in the world. Please remember the promise the Lord made through Isaiah, as he talks about the birth of the Prince of Peace. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2)
That light was Jesus. And that prophecy was considered fulfilled, as it’s recorded in Matt. 4:15-16, when Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum, along the sea coast of the afflicted regions of the northern tribal areas of Israel, like Zebulun and Naphtali which suffered greatly under the Assyrian invasion. Remember too, the prophecy of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah at his birth, when he got back his speech. ‘Through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the day-spring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited (will visit) us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79)
And how can we ever forget Jesus’ great pronouncement to the Pharisees; and consequently to us, and to all the world: ‘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 let’s not forget what Jesus said to the people when they questioned His words on His resurrection and ascension. (John 12:30-34) ‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children (become sons) of light.’ (John 12:35-36)
Now that’s what we ought to become when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour; the children, the sons of light, because Almighty God is the Father of light, and Jesus is His bright and shining star. But He can’t shine individually to everybody, that’s why He desires to use us, His supposed ambassadors, agents and followers. And that’s why He commanded us thus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket) but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Jesus says it there loud and clear my people! If we are his followers, then our lights should be blazing forth to a dark and evil world, lighting it up like a Christmas tree! But unfortunately we are not doing that. Our lights are barely pouring forth, flickering like that which comes from a dying battery or a lamp low on oil, or a candle that’s at its end. And that is certainly not acceptable, not if we consider ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus! And sadly, we all know we can do better, but for whatever reason we refuse to make the effort it requires.
Please friends, for a moment, let’s consider the ‘sufferation’ Jesus bore so that we could be set free and forgiven of our sins nuh, and in a moment of shame, let our resolve rise up to be better purveyors of His light in this dark world. That’s the only remedy that will suffice for our poor showing. Now, for those of us who are already trying to shine our light, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) 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 the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and walk that talk; 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!
…when our light shines forth…then peace, joy and LOVE…come to our world…
P.S. And yes, it’s long, but I think it’s very good; a good reawakening! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer, big thinking precedes great achievement, dream lofty dreams, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, function efficiently in the Lord's will, gains the whole world and loses his soul, God sent not his son into the world, God so loved the world, greater intimacy with God, he gave his only begotten son, I have overcome the word, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Lenten season, life's no easy matter, look out with a more accurate perspective, LOVE, never give up, no Jesus -no life, no Sunday stroll in the park, not to condemn the world but to save it, nothing happens to you but for you, quotes from our friend Anselm, reflection is looking in, should have everlasting life, the eternal truth, the spirit is willing, to them that love God, we know that all things work together for good, what is a man profited, who are called according to His purpose, whosoever believeth in him, your vision is the promise
Romans 8:28. 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.
It’s a late rising, lazy Saturday morning friends, as you can no doubt guess by the tardiness of the Bit. (smile) The sun’s shining brightly, and though the spirit is willing, the body is tired and needs some rest. And in this busy world too many of us don’t get enough rest, which is essential for our souls, bodies and spirits to function efficiently in the Lord’s will.
Please note that although Jesus was God, as a man He too needed to rest, in all aspects of the word; meaning physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, because our beings are not made to drive on without being recharged. And this Lenten Season is a most appropriate time for us to rest and be recharged through greater intimacy with the God of our fathers. So let’s rest if we must, but please, let’s never give up!
And having made that crucial point, (smile) let’s turn to our usual Saturday doings, that of looking at quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly a good fit for our current situation. ‘You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.’
Now that’s the indisputable truth my people! Our world calls for tough sledding, and if some of us didn’t know that before, we surely know it now with all the tough times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the many other problems our world is currently facing. But if you are a true believer in Christ, you will already know that life’s no easy matter, no Sunday stroll in the park since even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ faced rough times in His earthly sojourn, and also warned us about it when He said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes, my fellow believers, that’s a scripture we need to hold on to for dear life if we expect to make it through these tough times in one piece; safe of body and sound of mind! Our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead to live forever, and we will do the same thing if we cling to Him and what He stands for. But we need to both believe it and put it into action in the way we live our lives, looking for the positive even in the most negative events, and trusting our Saviour to work it all out in our favour.
And we also have this magnificent scripture in the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome to back it all up. ‘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) It’s all there friends, written into our faith, we just must develop the ability to handle it, and that can only come through a strong and sincere walk with Christ.
And this next quote is also rather appropriate for our times and this season of Lent. It says: ‘Reflection is looking in so you can look out with a broader, bigger, and more accurate perspective.’ Yes, that’s the purpose of reflection in general, and in particular, the serious inner look we take at ourselves during Lent. Technically speaking, reflection should be an ongoing process, but in Lent we just take time to focus more fully on what’s truly going on within us, re our walk with Jesus, and how we can straighten it out to His satisfaction. Remember, EVERYTHING we do ought to involve God in it, so it follows logically that any time we reflect, God should also be involved therein. (smile)
That brings us to these next two quotes which intertwine, and we’ll thus take as one. The first one advises us to ‘Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. Your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.’ And the second says: ‘Big thinking precedes great achievement.’ Now both of them contain aspects of truth, but they leave out the most important aspect of our dreaming and our big thinking; that’s the presence of Jesus Christ in it ALL!
Oh my fellow saints, we can dream as big as we want and have the utmost vision for our lives, but if Jesus Christ and His will are not included in those dreams and big thinking, if He is not the main focus in them, then it will be all for nought! For He is the Only One who can really make the desires of our hearts come true. Remember these marvellous words of advice and encouragement from Bruh David in Psalm 37. ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires off thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps. 37:4-5)
Yes my faithful brethren, that’s the ONLY way to get those big dreams and lofty thinking that we all engage in to be truly successful and last forever. With Satan, you might accomplish some stuff, but you will first have to sell your soul to him. But please note these important questions that Jesus posed on the subject. ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’ (Matt. 16:26) Now those are questions for us to seriously ponder.
And furthermore, whatever Satan offers is always like a house built on sinking sand, a flimsy structure that will eventually be washed away. Meanwhile, what you get from Jesus is always built on solid rock and is never destroyed. Yes friends, all other ground beside Jesus is sinking sand. As Bruh Paul says in 1st Corinthians: ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor, 3:11) That’s another scripture for us to write indelibly in our souls and spirits this first Saturday in Lent my people.
That brings us to the last quote of this week: ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’ And that’s totally true. It’s always easier when we begin teaching the children from a young age, inculcating the proper values and teachings of Christ as it were on a clean slate, a clean palette. That means there is no other information or values already planted that we have to first remove before we can plant the new stuff. But that’s what we must deal with when we try repair broken men. We first have to clean them up, remove all the satanic and evil stuff that’s been embedded in their souls and spirits probably for a long, long time.
Now that takes a lot of work. But Jesus can handle it. That’s what He’s equipped to do; to repair us broken human specimens! That’s why He came to earth: to save us, to repair the brokenness that eons of sin had created in us, right from the days of our forefather Adam down to these evil and ungodly times that we are now experiencing.
And what better way to end today than with these magnificent and encouraging words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
Now whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth; the immortal and eternal truth! And my hope for all of us today is that we sincerely believe it and live accordingly. Much LOVE!
…as the song says…NO Jesus…NO life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
02 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peace beyond human comprehension, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, be of good cheer, Carnival, evil doers, false gods, he trusteth in thee, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, intimate relationship with Christ, is still flowing through me, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, lean on God in total confidence, Lent, Lenten season, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, not looking back at the past, Peace i leave with you, perfect peace, shalom, thank God, the breath of life, the Millennial kingdom, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the redemption song, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust in God's promises, trust ye in the Lord for ever, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee
Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee.
Now is it ever bright and sunshiny this Ash Wednesday morning! We could not ask for anything better…well, perhaps no snow on the banks, (smile) although we expect some warmer temps and rain in the next couple of days, which hopefully will melt and wash most of it away. Brother, I’ve never seen such a confused mixture of snow and rain in a winter season yet. But if that’s the way Mother Nature chooses to behave these days, then there’s nothing much we can do, except grin and bear it.
Anyway, all the frolic, the carnival and bacchanal is done now, and it’s time to get serious about life and about Jesus. The Lenten Season is here, which means a time of praying, fasting, studying God’s word, being more generous and treating each other better! And I guess the Lord knew why He had me ask yesterday about the keeping of our New Year’s resolution, because all those things back there are an integral part of not only Lent, but also of getting closer, becoming involved in a deeper and more intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And do we ever desperately need that in this ungodly, strife-filled, angry and greedy world! And I just saw a scripture that admirably describes our current plight. The prophet Isaiah said of his people Israel in his hymn of praise, a prophecy of the redemption song that will be sung in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ finally comes to reign for a thousand years. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’ (Is. 26:13)
And is that ever the gospel truth my people! We have allowed the evil and wicked idols and images to capture our lives and turn us away from the One and Only True God Jehovah! That’s why our lives and our world is in such a terrible mess. But as Isaiah continues: ‘They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore thou hast visited (punished) and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.’ (Is. 26:14)
Yes friends, the Lord is the process of destroying the false gods and evildoers. He began with the coming of Jesus, that first time two thousand years ago, where He was the first and only deity to die and rise from the grave, and live forever. And the Lord will continue that cleansing of evil from His world with the Second Coming of Christ. And though we might desire the evil and iniquity workers to be gone immediately, in God’s divine wisdom, He’s made it a long, drawn out process, and we can only do as He directs, and trust in His promises and faithfulness.
And to encourage his people, as well as subsequent believers, Isaiah, in the early part of his hymn of praise, also made this promise on the Lord’s behalf. ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ (Is. 26:3-4)
Oh my fellow saints, the Lord God Jehovah is indeed our ‘Rock of Ages,’ upon whom we ought to place all our trust and faith, to whom we surrender ourselves completely, to live for His Son Jesus, so that we can be amongst those singing that redemption song in the Millennial Kingdom, helping to run it with Jesus.
And the scholars offer some interesting explanations of those verses. They say that ‘the emphatic expression in the promise of perfect peace (shalom), indicates a peace that goes beyond human comprehension (cf. Phil. 4:7). To have one’s mind…stayed means to lean on God in total confidence and security. Trust is the ultimate expression of that confidence. Notice that the object of one’s faith is as important as the act of trust. Here the object of faith is the Lord Jehovah.’
Yes my faithful brethren, it’s equally important not only that we trust, but also in whom we trust. And if we want to end up in the Millennial Kingdom and see that perfect peace, we need to trust in Jehovah God, and Him ONLY, because He is the ONLY ONE that can provide the shalom we all claim to seek.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul as he spoke to the church at Philippi. ‘Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
That says it all friends! If we need that perfect peace, that shalom, then the only way to get it is to believe in, surrender to, live for, and trust in Christ Jesus! Otherwise we will always be filled with doubt, distrust and turmoil. And there’s absolutely no doubt that right now we desperately need the peace of Jesus, that passeth all understanding, since none of us can really understand the myriad of sad and unbelievable things that are currently happening in our world. Let me say it once more: It’s only through belief and trust in Christ Jesus that we will ever find some semblance of true peace in this evil world.
And Jesus said it so clearly on two occasions during His earthly sojourn: The first one goes thus: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) So you clearly see that the peace found in Jesus Christ is not anything like the peace supposedly found in the world. It’s a spiritual kind of peace that operates at a much higher level than that of the world.
And in the second passage Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Now it’s up to us to believe that God is real and that His promises are faithful! And for those of us who believe that God is real, because we can feel Him deep in our soul, let’s go home joyfully declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as always, we need to remember that if we endure to the end, that that future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…shalom…shalom…the perfect peace…that’s only found in Jesus…
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31 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all about self and selfishness, always abounding in the work of the Lord, be a cakewalk, be of good cheer, be ye steadfast unmovable, but of power love and a sound mind, Covid-19 restrictions, death is swallowed up in victory, ease the pain, empower your life, encourage your heart, endurance and perseverance, find victory in death, God always wins, God and His people are victorious, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, he will swallow up death in victory, heal our land, humble servants, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, infect our souls and spirits, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise, led as sheep to the slaughter, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, o death where is thy sting, of power, overcome cahllenges, PaulEChapman.com, show this evil world, sincerely seek your face, suffering from negative situations, thanks be to God who gives us the victory, the bad dragon day, the doorway to eternal bliss, the Lord hasn't given us a spirt of fear, the sting of death is sin, these things I have spoken unto you, through our Lord Jesus christ, triumph over the world, turn from our evil ways, We can do all things through Christ, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, wipe away tears from all eyes, wise guidance and direction, ye shall tribulation, your labour is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Awright friends, are we ready for Monday, the bad dragon day of the week? Of course we are! We fellowshipped with other believers yesterday and received renewed blessings from our great God, enabling us to go out today and fight His battles in this evil and ungodly world. And let’s remember that God’s grace is ALWAYS sufficient to do whatever He desires us to do. He will NEVER give us less than we need. So please don’t allow any fear or dread to infect our souls and spirits as we head out to do God’s bidding today. For we know that He hasn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, LOVE and a sound or disciplined mine (2 Tim. 1:7).
And on top of that, Bruh Paul has also reinforced that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil. 4:13) That means we have all the tools we need to face the enemy and his evil minions. That’s why this Monday morning should be a cakewalk for believers who set out to do battle in Jesus’ name. (smile) Oh, I know that it won’t be as simple and easy, but with our endurance and perseverance we will eventually win the day.
And here in our Province of Ontario, I believe that some of the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations will be toned down today. So that’s one less matter to be anxious about. Now we must still be careful and concerned about it, because it’s not going away anytime soon, but we will have a little more leeway to operate, a little more freedom to live, as the restrictions will not be as onerous as they were before.
That though can be a major problem, as freedom is not an easy thing for many of us to navigate, for freedom requires a sense of responsibility, a sense of thinking about and considering others, which is not a currently paramount attitude in our society. Right now, it’s all more about self and selfishness. But that’s a story for another day. (smile)
Let me apologize right here for the Bit being so late though. It seems like the last few Mondays have all been bad dragon days for me, stuff happening, either with the snow, car or household problems that have caused me to relegate the Bit to a much later hour than I desired. And today was no different. But I’ve finally put all that stuff behind me and can turn my full attention to the Bit. And as I said earlier on, dealing with Monday and its problems is not always easy, but God always gives us the wherewithal to overcome them. And I did have success in my undertakings, but it took a lot of that other commodity that we don’t have so much of, that’s time.
But then, when you’ve successfully completed those time sensitive tasks, you find yourself too tired, mentally, physically and emotionally to properly handle the other stuff that you had to postpone. And that’s what’s been happening to me. So today, I believe we should look at a few scripture verses that deal with victory in the Christian’s life.
And I like how this article on the subject on the website PaulEChapman.com begins. It says: ‘The Bible can encourage your heart and empower your life. What verses inspire you to overcome challenges and triumph over the world? …Our God is victorious. He ALWAYS WINS. He has never lost a battle. He has no equal to challenge His sovereignty. Although we know this truth by the fact of history and the choice of faith, our experience in this life can make it seem like we are losing at times.
Our limited perspective can create doubt and discouragement. Allow me to encourage you in the Lord. If you are born again, you are on the winning side! God has revealed the last chapter of history. There is no doubt of how the future will end. God and His people are victorious! Even when the people of the Lord are led as sheep to the slaughter, they find victory in death. God has transformed man’s greatest enemy into the doorway to eternal bliss. Marvel at the awesomeness of our God!’
Yes friends, that’s such a wonderful, encouraging and reassuring thing to do, because it builds up our faith in our heavenly Father and keeps us willing and able to do His earthly work even in the most difficult of times and circumstances. But enough talk, (smile) let’s check out those scriptures on success. And I believe these immortal words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth ought to be first.
‘So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain (futile) in the Lord.’ (1 Cor. 15:54-58)
And that’s exactly how we’ve gained victory, through Christ Jesus, and how we keep it, by being steadfast and strong! Now listen to John from his first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
And the scholars explain: ‘5.5. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren, only when we are born again, trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, that we have access to the Father and all the victory that He radiates!
And there’s no better way to end these scriptures on victory than with these marvellous words, this eternal promise of Jesus, where He tells us, in no uncertain terms that victory is ours. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) What wonderful news my fellow saints. Please, let’s try and keep that first and foremost in our hearts souls and minds as we journey with God this day and every day nuh.
Now, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His omnipotent help in solving our many serious problems. As one, strong, sincere, confident, but humble voice: ‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now please remember that our answers all depend on our behaviour. Much LOVE!
…He will swallow up death forever in victory…the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces… (Is. 25:8a)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a ray of light in someone's life, as a man thinks so is he, as easy as one two three, be a rainbow in someone's cloud, be of good cheer, brightening up the lives of others, Caleb, Christianity isn't always difficult, get serious, give me this mountain, have a positive outlook on life, i have overcome the world, if you don't use it you'll lose it, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, inject a dash of sunshine, inspiration comes from within, inspires us to have a beter tomorrow, keep a positive mindset, lazing time, learning keeps us alive, never too old to set another goal, nothing is impossible to those who believe, promise ourselves and God, put on my thinking cap, sleeping late, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the Lord will be with me, the power of the Holy spirit, to dream a new dream, true happiness begins with us, whereof the Lord spake in that day, you do not find the happy life
Joshua 14:12a. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;
Oh yes! We’ve made it through another workweek! Thank the Lord! Now it’s Saturday, our lazing time; sleeping late, not rushing to do anything, even bypassing things we earlier felt were so important to do. (smile) That’s what Saturday brings for many of us, especially the ones without young children and a busy household schedule.
Wish I could say that, because on Saturdays, I have to put on my thinking cap and try to decipher, with God’s help obviously, what the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week means to believers in Christ Jesus. And ofttimes they are quite inciteful and do inspire us to have a better tomorrow.
So, let’s see what our first quote today says. ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ And isn’t that the God-awesome truth! Yes friends, as long as we are alive and able to do stuff, we should never stop learning, because learning is what keeps us alive, not only metaphorically, but also physically, for if we don’t use our faculties they will dry up and we will die. As they say, if you don’t use it, you lose it. And age is no drawback to learning. I just read recently about an eighty something year old woman receiving her first college degree and planning to go on for a second one.
Now that’s how we ought to be, always planning on something, even though we’re not sure to make it. And I believe one of the best examples of that sort of thinking in the Bible is Caleb, at eighty-five years old, saying to Joshua: ‘Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, than I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said,’ (Josh. 14:12)
Remember, Caleb and Joshua were two of the dozen spies who checked out the Promised Land at Moses’ behest. And they were the only two who had faith to believe that Israel was able to defeat the inhabitants, and thus were the only two people from those who originally left Egypt, blessed to enter the Land of Promise. That segues nicely into this next quote: ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’
I don’t know if inspiration necessarily only comes from within you, but for sure, you must be positive. And when you are, good things usually happen. The opposite is also true: Think negatively, negative things will most likely happen. That’s just the way of the universe. The way God planned it. Cousin Sol wisely said, as a man thinks, so is he. (Prov. 23:7) Now that’s no lie! And as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today. And something good is going to happen through me today.’
It’s always good to keep a positive mindset. Especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, for He says that nothing is impossible to Him, and consequently nothing is impossible to those who sincerely believe in Him! Wow! What an encouraging word in these discouraging times!
Moving on, we come to the following quote: ‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.’ I believe that most of us would agree with that statement, as there are so many moments in our lives that we never paid much attention to at the time they were taking place, but when we look back, we discover that they were indeed precious and memorable. Yes, hindsight is 20-20 vision. But please, let’s stop being so busy and enjoy the moments of our lives as they happen nuh, rather than appreciating them only in hindsight.
That brings us to this quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And is that ever so true. We ought not to wait on others to make us happy, otherwise we will often wait in vain. True happiness begins with us. It’s a decision we make to be happy, to be fulfilled, come what may. And the first thing on that road to happiness is having a positive outlook on life, because happiness entails a positive state of mind.
Then we need to have a good attitude towards the difficulties that come with life. For life is never a smooth, flat ride, but more often a roller coaster, with numerous up and downs, twists and turns. And the best way to get that good attitude is by believing in Jesus! Remember His memorable words to the disciples. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes my people, the only way to achieve a true kind of happiness, one that’s not dependent only on our outward circumstances is by having Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That’s because He enables us to have the inner peace and happiness we term joy, which is oh so essential for living in this dangerous and disastrous world. And our last quote encourages us as it says: ‘Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.’
Oh friends, being a ray of light in someone else’s life is ever so important, and it’s not very hard to do. We just have to be a friend, a mentor, or even a simple passer-by to inject a dash of sunshine into another’s life. And yuh know that’s the basic element of being a Christian, a follower of Christ! He said that we were supposed to be the light of the world, and to let our light shine so that others may see it and glorify our heavenly Father. Well, if that’s not being a rainbow in someone else’s dark cloud, then I don’t know what is.
And all it takes sometimes is just a smile, a kind or encouraging word, or quietly listening as someone pours out their hearts, but being there with some form of help. And having written that last sentence, it just occurred to me how easy it is for us to be a shining light, a rainbow in another person’s life without a whole lot of sacrifice on our part, and yet how many people go around shrouded in dark clouds because we supposed believers are too selfish, too busy or simply can’t be bothered to offer that li’l ray of sunshine we are quite capable of offering.
So today, my fellow saints, I’m asking us to get serious on the matter of brightening up the lives of others. And do we all need someone to offer us a ray of sunshine in these calamitous times. All we have to do is pay a li’l more attention and let the power of the Holy Spirit play a greater part in our lives. Let’s promise ourselves and our God to do that today nuh, so we can make our world a better and brighter place. Much LOVE!
…being a true Christian isn’t always difficult…it can also be as easy as…one, two, three…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
17 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that will live godly in Christ, be of good cheer, behind the eight ball, blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, blessed are ye, for my sake, great is your reward in heaven, I am halfway home, i have overcome the world, I'm not turning back, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, rejoice and be exceeding glad, say all manner of evil against you falsely, Sermon on the Mount, thank God, the Beatitudes, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the inner state of mind and heart, the spiritual character and quality of Christ's kingdom, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, when men shall revile you, will suffer persecution
Matthew 5:10. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What a morning! The day’s half done, and I haven’t done my business yet. (smile) But that’s how life intervenes sometimes; getting you behind the eight-ball before you have even begun. So, without further ado, let’s begin. And the Good Book opened today on the Beatitudes, those blessings with which Christ began His Sermon on the Mount, and though we are only going to look specifically at the last section, the scholars offer an excellent explanation of Jesus’ message.
They say: ‘The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate that the message deals with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestation of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples. Thus, the life of the believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this quality of life the product of man’s human efforts (as does the liberal) is the height of overestimation of man’s ability and underestimation of his depravity.
To relegate this entire message, Jesus’ longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish only life-style, as do some dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest statement of true Christian living. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and quality of the kingdom He would establish, and the basic qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church He would establish. Virtually every section of this message is repeated in substance elsewhere in the New Testament. Nothing here indicated that this message is to be limited in its application to the people of Israel only.’
Awright friends, so we now have a working knowledge of what the Beatitudes are supposed to mean, because just reading them without a proper understanding, will lead us astray, since all of them begin with ‘Blessed,’ which means “happy,’ but seem to be applicable to people who are suffering. They all seem rather contradictory to what the world expects. How can a suffering person be blessed and happy eh? But that’s because Jesus is talking about His spiritual kingdom, not that of this physical world, and the spiritual world always seems to be the opposite of the physical.
Now, according to the scholars ‘Blessed is a basic description of the believer’s inner condition as a result of the work of God. These Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, do not show a man how to be saved, but rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved.’
And finally, (smile) we come to the section we want to look at. It says: ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.’ (Matt. 5:10-11) Yes, my fellow saints, if we live the way Jesus wants us to live, we will face persecution, ridicule and hate from the world around us.
And the scholars explain: ‘5:10. As Jesus develops His message, He clearly teaches that such a life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in which they live. Therefore He reminds us, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The plural use of “ye” in verse 11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching all His followers. Notice 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
There’s absolutely no doubt about that friends! No wonder so many of us don’t acknowledge Christ, or our faith in Him in public, because we are either and/or ashamed and afraid of the repercussions from those around us. But we must remember that no cause is ever easily invoked or maintained.
Please note what the scholars tell us, re verse 11. ‘Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the apostles, and throughout the history of the church. This persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted, and second, a personal attack of slander against them.’
And that’s why I chose that section of the Beatitudes to look at today my fellow brethren. Some of us are naïve, or just don’t know what to expect in being a true and devout Christian and trying to live by the principles that Christ taught. But it is not a simple matter, as we see from the beginning of the church all the way down to right now. And yuh better believe that in many places, it’s open season on persecuting believers. So it’s not something to be taken lightly.
However, as our Lord and Saviour always does, He provides solace for us even in those times of persecution. He says: ‘Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:12) And I know that’s difficult to do when persecution is staring you straight in the face, but it’s a necessary part of walking with Jesus.
Listen to the scholars again: ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase ‘Rejoice and be exceeding glad’ means even more, exult! Great is your reward in heaven focuses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
And that’s the God-awesome truth! We have to keep our minds tuned to the home we have waiting in heaven for us. Although this one will be pretty rough, the ultimate one will be worth all and any suffering we do down here. Please remember what Jesus said to the disciples later on when He was explaining the whole scenario of His coming and going to them? ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And He has overcome the world through His death, resurrection and ascension, but we have to be strong and remember that this earth is not our home, and for Jesus’ sake, with His strength and wisdom, handle whatever comes against us, knowing that He is faithful who promised. And for those of us who are sincerely attempting to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends, let’s keep that glorious future of heaven in our mind’s eye as we walk this evil and ungodly earth. Much LOVE!
…whatever ‘sufferation’ this earthly life brings…the joy of heaven will supersede and totally erase it…as soon as we get there…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, be of good cheer, being confident of this very thing, casting all your care upon him, cleanse your hands ye sinners, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, draw nigh to God, eternal freedom, even unto the end of the world, for he is faithful that promised, he may exalt you in due time, he that cometh to God, he which hath begun a good work, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the beloved of god, i have overcome the world, I'm not what people say about me, if god be for us who can be against us, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lo I am always with you, LOVE, must believe he exists, never to leave nor forsake us, no one can take that from me, no sign of the sun, not what I do, not what I have, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, relief from this sinful world, resist the devil, share His love with the world, Stay with God, submit yourselves to God, the Christian's eternal security, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, will perform it until the day of Jesus, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
Well, after two days of almost steady rain, it’s finally eased up. But everything is still wet, and the skies are still dark, no sign of the sun, so who knows what’s going to happen next. The good thing though is that despite what we see or feel, or what may come our way, the wise thing to do is to stay with God! He controls everything and has promised to not allow more than we can bear to come upon us. He will give us the strength to overcome. A strength that we never knew we had. That’s why Bruh Paul says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13)
And don’t forget this most marvellous promise either from Peter: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, when things get rough, or we just don’t know what do, wisdom dictates that we lose our inherent pride and arrogance, and humble ourselves before our heavenly Father, because He cares for us, even more than our earthly parents. We have life in Him, there’s hope, a bright future, and the awesome promise never to leave nor forsake us!
Oh my people, Jesus promised it in so many words: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) So we have no reason to fear or feel lost in the turmoil of this current world. That is, if we put our lives in God’s hands, let Him lead and guide us through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. He is always there for us, but we have to go to Him, and stay with Him, fully believing that He can and will do all that He has promised. Remember, walking with God calls for faith, for trust and surrender.
As Hebrews so clearly puts it: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (that He exists), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And then you ask, what then is this faith you talk about? It’s just believing for things that you don’t see, things that God’s promised, and waiting expectantly for them. For as Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
Yes, my fellow believers, we very much need to stand strong in our faith, because life is never easy, therefore, we need someone more powerful than us to help us walk through it successfully. And who is more powerful than Jesus eh? NOBODY! He conquered hell, death and the grave through His triumphant resurrection on the Easter morning so long ago. That’s why He could make this amazing statement: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh my brethren, who else could make such a truthful statement eh? No one but Jesus, because He did exactly what He said! That means no matter what happens we can rest assured that God is working in our lives for our good. Bruh Paul told us that in his epistle to the church at Rome. ‘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) Yes my fellow saints, if we LOVE God, put our lives in His awesome hands and try our best to walk in faith with Him, then He will eventually work everything out for our good.
So, though the rains pour down, the skies stay dark and life seems forsaken, do not believe that all is lost, for when Christ is in your life, nothing is ever lost! It might be misplaced for a while, but NEVER lost, because Jesus has faithfully promised that it won’t be. And He never makes idle promises. Why would Father God send His only Son to die on the cross that we might be forgiven, then leave us in the lurch after that eh?
No way! Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear to the Roman church when he wrote: ‘What shall we then say to these things (that God has done for us through Jesus, like justification, sanctification and reconciliation)? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
That’s only common-sense friends. Why would God put Himself out for us, then just leave us to fend for ourselves afterwards eh? No reason whatsoever, since that’s not the kind of God He is. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in his epistle to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Oh, how wonderful that is my fellow believers; that the Lord will continue working in us, offering us His grace, LOVE and all that we need until Christ returns!
And as the scholars explain: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’ Glory be, mih people! The Lord’s plans for us will not be thwarted! You can’t beat that news! But that means we must also play our part in the partnership. As James advises: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw night (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8)
So friends, our role is basically to stay close to God, and if we do, He will work everything out for our good. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to stay attached to God, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong. As one strong, confident 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 the world. Amen!’
And the upshot of that declaration (yeah!!!) is that we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…there is relief from this sinful world…and eternal freedom in the next…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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