30 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his riches in glory, all things work together for good, an house of defence, be about the Lord's business, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer, be thou my strong rock, Bible, bow down thine ear to me, commit our spirits into the Lord's hand, courage, curse, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, faith, god, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I commit my spirit, i have overcome the world, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in me ye might have peace, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, into thine hand, Jesus, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let me never be ashamed, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, MY rock and My fortress, negative word, O Lord God of truth, one foot in both worlds, psalms, sacrifices, self-control, sit on the fence, take up your cross daily, talent, the peace of God which passeth all understading, thou hast redeemed me, Thursday Blessings, to them who love God, total trust in the Lord, tribulation, truth, who are called according to His purpose
Psalm 31:1. ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
And then it was Thursday…And yes, the ole fella is up somewhat early to be about the Lord’s business, that’s because I have a couple of medical appointments this afternoon and did not want to be rushing around later to accomplish my tasks. So strange things do happen in this world, today, instead of being late…we’re being early! (smile) Now what are we going to talk about this morning eh, this sunny but somewhat chilly penultimate day in May? Well the Good Library opened just now in the Book of Psalms, and my eyes alighted first on Psalm 31 – Bruh David talking about ‘My Rock and My Fortress.’ One of his many psalms of both lament and praise.
So please read with me: ‘In thee, O Lord do put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge) for an house of defence (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5)
Oh friends, those are powerful words of commitment and trust! Bruh David was serious about them, and as we read them, the question arises, are we also serious in our commitment to Almighty God? Do we consider Him our strong rock and fortress of refuge, our strength and deliverer in these turbulent and topsy turvy times? Let’s hope so, for we surely do need someone bigger and stronger than us to help us get through the craziness that’s overtaken our world. And who better than the Lord God Almighty, the Creator, and Controller of the universe, the most powerful being in existence. If He cannot take care of us, then no one can.
But as Bruh David says, we have to commit our spirits into His hand if we want His protection. And that’s totally, not partially, as we like to do in most godly things. For some reason we don’t seem to trust the Lord completely, or we just want to always have some sort of control over our goings and comings. However friends, with the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! He doesn’t do partway stuff, so for those of us who like to sit on the fence and try to have a foot in both worlds, He will not pay any attention to your cries for help.
And we all know that, but yet we still always try to withhold something, not give all of ourselves, possibly because we don’t truly trust the Lord to take care of all of our needs as Bruh Paul assured the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes friends, we mouth it, but don’t sincerely believe it…well not all the way. But our God needs our sincere trust and surrender if He is to do much good for us. You’ll notice in Bruh David’s own life, although he was hounded by enemies on all sides, he gave his total trust to God, and the Father, in His time and way resolved them for him.
Note, his problems did not go away overnight, or that he never had any further problems, but he stood his ground with God throughout all his trials and that’s the way we need to be. Regardless of our circumstances, how threatening or fearful they might be, we need to stand strong in the Lord and His might and believe as the word says: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) The problem is that we expect God to fix all of our problems right away and allow us to live a life of wine, women and song, without any further encumbrances.
But that will never happen, for in this sinful and ungodly world, we will have troubles and problems until the day we die, because that’s just the kind of world we live in. As Jesus rightly said: ‘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 yes, it’s not easy to have good cheer when your whole world seems to be crumbling down around you, but if you have put your sincere trust in Jesus, then you will indeed have a modicum of peace during your trials.
Your circumstances will not drive you crazy, or to drink and drugs, but you’ll fall on your knees and ask the Lord for help, while giving Him thanks and praise. As Bruh Paul wisely advises us: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING 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) Now again, that isn’t always easy to do, but if we have sincerely trusted Jesus, and believe that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us, (Phil. 4:13) then we will be able to handle whatever comes against us.
Many of us erroneously believe that coming to Christ means a life of ease and comfort, but oftentimes it’s not. It might even mean more problems, tests and sacrifices, because living for Jesus desires us to take up our crosses daily and walk with him, forgetting ourselves, so we can do His work. The good news though friends is that living for Christ is all worth it, for in the long run the rewards greatly eclipse the sacrifices. But it takes strong and sincere faith and belief and a willingness to give up all for Christ.
And on the good side of things, we have a whole lot of undeserved blessings, that the Lord has generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but they have to be declared to be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having declared those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…to receive all of God’s favour…we must trust Him…ALL THE WAY…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Apr 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a name above every other name, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, at the name of Jesus, be of good cheer, beside still waters, bet your bottom dollar, choose life, christianity, come unto me, curse, Easter Sunday, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, faith, fro glory to glory, fulfillment, god, God also highly exalted him, Good Friday, good vibes, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will you rest, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, Jesus in our hearts souls bodies and minds, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, Jesus is our Guide and Leader, King of Kings, leads us to green pastures, learn of me, let it rain, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, my burden is light, my peace I give to you, my yoke is easy, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, paid our sin debt in full, peace, Peace i leave with you, refreshes our weary souls, salvation, self-discipline, set before you life and death, success, supernatural strength, take my yoke upon you, that both thou and thy seed shall live, the awesome power of Christ's resurrection, the Easter season, turbulent times, wisdom
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And the good vibes of this Easter Season still percolate strongly through our faith on this wet Thursday spring morning in early April. Thankfully, the rain has let up some, and the li’l snow we got has already disappeared. However, the promise of rain is still in the forecast. But as I like to say: ‘Let it rain, let it rain! With Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, rain cannot stop us from moving forward with Him!’ No sir! For Jesus is our Guide and Leader, our Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures, beside still waters and restores or refreshes our burdened and weary souls.
That means, if we are wise, we will quickly take Him up on His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Oh friends, there is absolutely no better invitation in all the world! You can bet your bottom dollar on that!
And Jesus, having died on Good Friday and paid our sin debt in full, then risen on Easter Sunday and proclaimed the awesome power of His resurrection, He now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf, highly exalted for His work on the cross. As the Good Library tells it: ‘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 shall 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. 2:9-11)
Wow mih bredrin! Jesus, for His stellar, unselfish work here on earth has been proclaimed King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the name that’s above all names! That means, if possible, He is now even more able to offer us the peace and rest that we so desperately need in these tremulous and turbulent times, than when He first offered that invitation while here with us on Mother Earth. So why are many more of us not turning to Him for the comfort, relief and solace He so readily offers eh? Why instead are so many of us leaving His church, turning away from Him and all the wonderful things He offers?
I truly don’t know why, neither can I understand why in this age of turmoil and confusion we would run away from the ONE source of true peace and comfort in this evil and ungodly world. My people, please, I plead with us to remember these most important words of Jesus on the subject of peace in this strife-filled world. He says: ‘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)
Right there you have it friends! Jesus’ peace is an entirely different kind of peace from what this ungodly world offers as peace. And furthermore, when you have the peace of Jesus, you don’t have to be worried and anxious about what’s happening in the world, or even in your particular situation, because He will keep you peaceful if you live for Him. And Jesus second quote on peace comes just after He tells the disciples about His upcoming crucifixion, acknowledging that in their fear they would scatter like rats at the presence of a cat. (smile)
Nonetheless, He comforts them with these words. ‘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 yes, we all know that it’s hard to have peace when we’re undergoing trials and tribulations, but if we put our complete trust in Jesus, surrender our all to Him, He will give us the necessary peace to go about our business without too much worry and anxiety. That’s His absolute promise! And I’m here to testify to it.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen overnight. However, as you draw closer to Jesus; pray, read and understand more of His Word and put it into action in your own life, you find yourself being less and less worried and anxious, because little by little, you’re experiencing His faithfulness in your life. Your faith grows stronger as He slowly raises you from glory to glory! Now that my fellow believers is the least we can ask of our Saviour. But the truth of the matter is that He has a lot more to offer us, if we will only turn to Him seriously and sincerely!
As He says in His Invitation; you will find rest for your souls, an easy yoke, a light burden, plus stuff like forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life with Him wherever He might be. Now what can be better than that eh? Certainly not our only other option; that of sojourning in hell with Satan and his band of evil doers. But it’s all up to the individual. The Lord gave us free choice, hoping that we’d choose Him, over Satan. Thus Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites in the wilderness: ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.’ (Deut. 30:19)
It could not be said any clearer than that my fellow saints. Now the ball is in our court. Please play it wisely. And our God is so wonderful that He even bestows on us undeserved blessings to profitably share His Word on the earth. We call them our Thursday Blessings, but there’s one proviso; a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared (yesss!!!). So let’s declare (awright!!!) them right now nuh. 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!’
And having made that declaration (yeahhh!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…why choose sorrowful death…when there’s glorious life to be chosen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sensation that draws us to light, ambassadors of Christ, christianity, divinely bestowed peace, faith, fellowship, god, grace, greater is he that is in you, holy spirit, in me ye might have peace, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus' peace surpasses all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let my muscles relax, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, my breath deepen, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, omnipotence, peace, peace be unto you, Peace i leave with you, peace of mind to their hearts, peace that passeth all understanding, quiet my soul, sincerity, slow my thoughts, speak rest to their souls, surrounded by darkness, than he that is in the world, the eternal light of Jesus, the peace of God, the Prince of Peace, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, your love both surrounds and fills me, your unceasing nearness
Philippians 4:7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Well friends, this lazy-day Saturday looks like it’s going to be wet and cloudy, but with decent temperatures. So it’s up to us to make the best of it, either by cuddling up under the covers and enjoying some more sleep time, or getting up and just generally lazing around, after a hard week’s work. (smile) But before you do either of those things, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth.
As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now how can we ever go wrong with a sincere prayer like that eh? And you know friends, sometimes these kinds of wet and cloudy days are the best kind to cozy up, to cuddle up to our wonderful God, in the sense that it’s a quiet and dark time, and when we are surrounded by darkness, there’s a powerful sensation that keeps drawing us to light; hopefully the fulfilling and eternal light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So now might just be the ideal time to get involved in reading and studying the Lord’s Word, listening to it, or even just spending some quiet time conversing with Him. I’m sure our spirits will be lifted and our souls rest quietly in His peace.
And there’s no greater consolation we can ever have down here on this turbulent and eccentric earth than the peace of Christ. Please note His two famous speeches on peace; His peace in particular. When speaking to the disciples about the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, He tells them: ‘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)
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus’ peace is a different kind of peace to what the world offers. As Bruh Paul writes to the church at Philippi: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) Oh how wonderful that is, Jesus’ peace surpasses all human understanding!
The scholars tell us: ‘The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it. Shall keep means “shall guard.” This is a military term for a sentinel standing guard duty. As Philippi was guarded by a Roman garrison, and its citizens were accustomed to seeing soldiers protecting the city, this word would be especially appreciated by the readers.’
So you see the power and compassion with God’s peace, guarding us from all worry and anxiety, even in the most difficult and overwhelming times in our lives! And it’s not that Jesus didn’t know we’d face tough times, for He spoke of it in His second message on peace to the disciples. ‘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) And I like how Jesus talks about the trials and tribulations we will find in the world, but there’s no need to be worried or afraid of them because He has already overcome the world!
Wow! What assurance my people! And remember in the first speech on peace, He also warned us not to be troubled or afraid. That’s the beauty of being in fellowship with Jesus; though we might face tough times, we don’t have to worry or be afraid, because we have His omnipotent power, LOVE, grace and mercy surrounding us all the time!
But we need to sincerely believe it, if we expect to see and feel His peace. And that’s where so many of us are lacking. We talk about it, but when those tough times come, we apparently forget Christ’s words, or our faith just isn’t strong enough to put them into action, and thus quell what ever worry or fear that’s in our spirit. And remember that in Isaiah’s famous verse on Jesus’ birth, one of His many titles was ‘The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) So Peace is definitely one of His strongpoints!
Remember also that Jesus’ greeting to the disciples after His resurrection, was ‘Peace be unto you.’ He said it to them three times, twice when He appeared unto them without warning. (John 20:19, 21, 26). And why did He greet them thus. I like this commentary on the subject. ‘The reason Jesus said ‘peace be with you’ as more than a platitude, was because he had to settle and calm all the emotions that were raging inside of them. He had to speak rest to their souls and peace of mind to their hearts. He also had to do this more than once.’
And it’s the same way with us today my fellow saints. Jesus needs to quiet our worried and anxious souls, in these times of excessive strife and confusion in our world. That’s why He keeps saying to us: ‘Peace be unto you,’ whenever He sees us frustrated and lacking in the faith that we need to overcome our many earthly problems. But as always, we need to pay serious attention to His still, small voice emanating from the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, if we are to find that peace that passes all human understanding. And remember too that since the Holy Spirit doesn’t shout, we need to be listening very closely, if we want to hear His words of wisdom and godly advice.
Now, hopefully, all that we’ve said today will stir us up, motivate us to be better, stronger and more faithful believers in Christ Jesus, so that we can get out into the evil and ungodly world and be the good ambassadors He desires us to be! Much LOVE!
…greater is he that is in you…than he that is in the world… (1 John 4:4)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, an intimate relationship with Christ, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, courage, creativity, curse, faith, holy spirit, I will love thee O Lord, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in whom I will trust, it doesn't happen automatically, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the pilot of our life, live the abundant life, LOVE, my deliverer my God my strength, negative word, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, receive clear direction for my life, saved from mine enemies, self-discipline. self-control, stand strong in Faith, success, talent, the awesome power of His Holy Spirit, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord is worthy to be praised, Thursday Blessings, we are more than conquerors, written indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 18:1. I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength.
And, due to a somewhat snowy Wednesday night, we have ended up with a snow tinged Thursday morning. (smile) Yes, some snow, not a whole lot, just enough to cover everything, fell during the night hours, but by the time the day opened the roads were mostly clear and the white intruder had begun melting. But we still need to be careful as we go out today, because it’s still wet and possibly slippery. In other words, welcome to a damp and cloudy day! And as always, possibly a li’l more so today because of the wet, gloomy weather, before we step out of the house, we have to ask our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for His protection and guidance as we go about our business.
For He is the ONLY sure thing we have in this evil and ungodly world! And we have these strong and sure sentiments of Bruh David from Psalm 18, to prove it. He uttered these words in song when the Lord delivered him from all his enemies, especially King Saul. ‘I will LOVE thee O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
We can’t get any stronger or more faithful sentiments than those my brethren! And let’s hope that those are words we all believe, that we have written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for without that strong trust in Almighty God, who knows what will happen to us at any given time, on any given day! Only when we have surrendered our all, placed our complete trust in Christ Jesus can we walk in comparative safety. For Jesus is the able pilot of our good ship Life, and He, and He alone can pilot us safely through the storms that most certainly will come upon each of us.
Remember these word of His: ‘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 yes, I know that’s easier said than done, for when the unexpected troubles and tribulations suddenly come upon us, sometimes we don’t even have time to think before we need to respond to them. But if we walk faithfully with that peace that comes from a strong and intimate relationship with Christ, then He will ensure that we have whatever time we need to think, before responding to our unfortunate situation.
Yes my people, it’s all about building the kind of faith in Jesus that will allow us to go about our business and His, with a type of peace that only comes from Him. as He says in the gospel of John: ‘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 it’s ever so important to note that Jesus’ peace is way different to what the world touts as peace. His peace is that peace which passes all human understanding. It’s so far above our understanding, so powerful and refreshing, that we who posses it don’t understand it either, but we know that it’s there, indwelling us through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit!
Wow! And it doesn’t mean that we won’t feel fear, anxiety or any of the other negative emotions when tough times invade our souls, but that we will have the peace of Jesus to handle them without them taking us under. However, in those rough times, we need to stand strong in faith, by remembering all that Jesus has already done for us, and His promise never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) otherwise, all our talk will be in vain. He’s also promised that we won’t ever be faced with spirit-crunching fear because as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
So you see, we have all the tools to handle the world’s attempts to drive us into the evil arms of Satan. That’s the peace of God which passes all human understanding; the promise of God never to leave nor forsake us, and God’s indomitable, invincible Spirit of power, LOVE and a sound mind! But unfortunately they don’t work unless and until we put them together in that big ball of strong faith required to defeat the enemy and his many attempts to overcome us. That brings to mind this added scripture of promise; the encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome.
He writes: ‘Who will separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:39)
Mama Mia! What powerful words my fellow saints! Words that we should all be able to truly espouse in our hearts, bodies and souls, if we want to live the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. Jesus said it thus: ‘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) There we have it friends, Jesus died so that we can have an abundant life down here as well as in heaven, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen automatically, we have an important part to play in the process: that’s putting all the tools we’ve been granted together to make the whole come right.
But yuh know what, in addition to those tools, our God is so generous and forthcoming, that He’s also bestowed a number of undeserved blessings on us to use in our advancement of His kingdom. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare (yesss!!!) them now that they can be activated in our lives. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now responsible to go out and share them with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…God’s given us all we need to succeed in life…it’s up to us how we use His gifts…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, casting all your care upon him, faith, grace to accept your timing, Halloween Day, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, hurry, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the name of the mighty dollar, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let not your heart be troubled, let your moderation be known unto all men, let your request be made known unto God, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my heart is stayed on hope in God, not as the world giveth, occult stuff, Peace i leave with you, rejoice always, Satanic tradition, set my thoughts higher, share His love with my neighbours, the beloved of God, the God of all grace, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, whom resist steadfast in the faith, wisdom, worry
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Prologue: Let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit right up front. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning and you know how it is with them; you spend more time waiting than anything else. Nonetheless, I think it’s a good Bit. (smile)
And after Monday comes Tuesday…as naturally as the day follows the night. (smile) And this Tuesday, the last day in October is bright and sunshiny in my area, though somewhat chilly, for there was frost on the cars this morning. But more importantly, for the world and it’s economic masters is that today is also Halloween day, when the world shamelessly flaunts the things of the occult, with li’l children the basis of their mockery, invoking fearful and scary foolishness, as they make oodles of money from the nonsense they promote.
What a world eh! When we’re so badly in need of God’s help with our many serious problems, we foolishly keep up with this Satanic tradition, all in the name of the mighty dollar! Personally, I’ve never seen the fun in children dressing up in scary costumes and scampering around in the night to their neighbours’ houses begging for stuff, especially candy, which every day you hear in the ads is no good for you. This is the happiest time of the year for the dentists’ because they know in another couple of months children will be flocking to them with candy infused teeth problems.
And if we insist on dealing with, cherishing and encouraging dark and occult stuff, even the scary movies are doing big business these days, what’s the purpose of this scripture then? ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) Then, afterwards, when a real challenge comes against us, we can’t handle it, because we’re too scared, we’re filled with fear, rather than faith. To help us with all our weak and fearful moments though, here’s a prayer from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) that will enable us to keep God first place in our lives.
Please pray with me: ‘God, please give me the grace to accept Your timing. I will enjoy this day because You have me in the palm of Your hand. No circumstance or problem can keep me from the joy You have for me. Even though it seems I may have good reason to worry or live upset, I’m going to keep my eyes on You. I know that the enemy would LOVE for me to never get my hopes up, to think that it’s always going to be this way, to just drag through the day. But my heart is stayed on hope in You. I’m going to set my thoughts higher, championing You in this moment and throughout the day. I will choose to be happy. I will choose to focus on the goodness of God. Nothing is going to override my joy in the Lord, now, or in the days to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s the kind of desire and passion we need to hold on to each and every day. Choose to be happy, choose to focus on God’s goodness and fill our lives with the joy of the Lord, which is our strength! (Neh. 8:10) It’s all a matter of choice…our choice. We can either choose to focus on God and His goodness or the fiery trials and tribulations of this evil and wicked world! The choice is ours! No one else’s! So, if you choose to focus on your tough circumstances instead of God’s goodness, then that’s foolishly your fault. For throughout all the Bible, we have been encouraged to not fear, to not worry, just give it all to God. And these two scriptures are the epitome of that wonderful and wise advice.
First off is this scripture from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request 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. 4:4-7)
Oh my faithful brethren, that hits the nail right on its proverbial head! Don’t worry or be concerned about anything, especially if you can’t do anything about it in your own strength. Turn it over to the Lord though prayer and thanksgiving and that wonderful peace of God, which surpasses all of man’s understanding will calm your souls and spirits. It’s that peace that Jesus bequeathed unto us, when He said: ‘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 later on He again gives us His marvellous peace, when He tells 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) And if you have sufficient faith to believe in Jesus and His faithful promises, then the cares of this world won’t trouble you unduly.
Then there’s also this amazing and encouraging scripture of putting one’s cares and lives in the hands of Jehovah God. Listen to Peter tell it: ‘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. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11)
Now friends, let’s pay close attention to those scriptures because the world is getting more evil and troubled each day, and we will only be able to handle it with God’s divine help! Now for those of us who are doing our best to stand steadfast and strong, let’s declare (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only place to find true peace…is with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mature Christian, as the sparks fly, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, bring backsliders back to your fold, children of the Most High God Jehovah, every tongue that rises against you shall be condemned, every word of God is pure, Friday chant, full of trouble, growing in faith, he is a shield unto them that trust him, He shall cover thee with his feathers, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE, man is born unto trouble, man that is born of woman is of few days, no weapon that is formed aganst thee shall prosper, omnipotent help, pandemic, siblings of Jesus Christ, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the devil's advocate, the error of their ways, the heritage of the servants of the Lord, the Holy Spirit of Christ, the weather mavens, their righteousness is from me, these things I have spoken unto you, thou O Lord art a shield for me, trusting faith, under his wings shall thou take refuge, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, wise gudiance
Job 14:1. Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
And though it’s a wet, cloudy day, we all still shouted ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and the work week done!’ Yes, the work week is finally finished, but for some reason or other the lasts few Fridays have all seen bad weather, although the previous days in the week have been fine, bright and sunshiny. I guess because we are so into Friday, the weather mavens are playing the devil’s advocate with us, trying to put a spoke into our wheel on one of the days we look forward to. (smile)
But little do they know that we can handle anything they throw at us because were the siblings of Jesus Christ, children of the Most High God Jehovah; Creator of heaven, earth and all therein! Yes friends, the devil and his evil cronies might try to make life difficult for us but when we’re imbued with the Holy Spirit of Christ, our Lord and Saviour, as well as our Big Brother, our High Priest, Advocate, Intercessor and whatever else we need, then we can handle ANYTHING that comes against us in His mighty name!
How did the prophet Isaiah put it so long ago? ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) Ah my people, what a strong, stalwart, ever-faithful and LOVING God we serve! If He says it, then we can be assured that we will be protected and come out the victor in the end!
Now, this doesn’t mean we won’t be attacked or be struck by a weapon, for we will have trials and tribulations, tests and sufferings of many kinds, for as Job so rightly says a couple times: ‘Yet man is born unto trouble (toil), as the sparks fly upward.’ (Job 5:7) And again: ‘Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.’ (Job 14:1) Then Jesus said it very clearly: ‘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)
So friends, it’s not that we won’t be attacked or suffer unjustly, but the promise is that NONE of the negative stuff that we encounter will PROSPER against us! In the end we will certainly be victorious! And that’s a very useful promise to hold on to, especially in these very rough and trying times, where our world suddenly seems to have gone crazy with all sorts of negative things happening all at once. Yes, some days it is difficult to stay faithful, but with each day that you do so, your faith in Christ grows, and life becomes a li’l easier for you to handle.
And that’s what we need to concentrate on; growing our faith, becoming more mature Christians, and thus better able to handle the vicissitudes, that’s the changes, variations and vagaries of this evil and ungodly world. To do that successfully though, means we must know the scriptures; know the Lord’s Word, which is the ONLY thing that will keep us strong and willing to stay on that straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus, salvation and eternal life. And you can only know the word by spending serious and sincere time in it; meditating on it, allowing it to caress your heart, mind, body and soul so that it forms a shield around you.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to a few of the may scriptures that describe our God and His word as a shield. Beginning with Samuel’s declaration (oh yeah!!!): ‘As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all them that trust him.’ (2 Sam. 22:31) Then Bruh David adds his two cents worth from Psalm 3, as he states: ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head (the one who lifts up my head).’ (Ps. 3:2-3)
Then listen to this verse from Psalm 91: ‘He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).’ (Ps. 91:4) And we all know that Cousin Sol had something to say on almost everything…if not everything. (smile) Listen as he tells it. ‘Every word of God is pure (tried, found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.’ (Prov. 30:5) So, my fellow saints, you don’t have to take my word for it, you have the true and faithful testimony of several great men of God, who did exactly as I am asking us to do, put our sincere and deep trust in Almighty God, for He will not let you down. No, NEVER!
Now, let’s go to Him prayer, through our Friday Chant asking for His divine help to keep us strong and sincere. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set.
Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we want to see positive results from our petitions, then we have to make positive, godly changes to our lives. Much LOVE!
…if you can’t trust God…then whom can you trust eh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Jan 2023
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, for with what judgement ye judge, grin and bear it, how to abound, how to be abased, I have learned, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in whatsoever state I am, judge not, lazy day Saturday, let go of things that don't bring happiness, let not your heart be troubled, Life is not perfect, LOVE Revolution, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Not that I speak in respect of want, only one way to get true peace, Peace i leave with you, snow in the forecast, social media, thankful for what I have, the Prince of Peace, therewith to be content, w ith all thy heart soul and mind, ye shall be judged
Philippians 4:11. Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
So, it’s our lazy day Saturday, but unfortunately I couldn’t stay in bed and be lazy like I desired, because I was just fresh like a daisy, rearing to go. (smile) Imagine that nuh! And what was I so excited to get up and see? Another cold and cloudy day with snow in the forecast.
Well, if we are expecting more of the white stuff, and we still have plenty left over from the last bout, then apparently winter has finally reached my area. But that’s what we are all about at this time of year anyway, so we just have to grin and bear whatever comes our way. Therefore, let’s get our act together, and, as we do on Saturdays, check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And this first one is rather interesting. It says: ‘I am letting go of things that don’t bring me happiness or peace.’ Wow! What a novel idea! (smile) And it would be ever so good if many of us in today’s busy and pressure-filled society would do that; just let go of the things that don’t bring us peace or happiness. And some of us might have to let go of a lot of things because we have so many things in our lives that are not bringing peace or happiness to our blighted souls.
But the truth be known, there is ONLY ONE WAY to get true peace on this sinful and fallen earth, that’s by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. And why is that? Well because He is the Prince of Peace and His peace is far different than what the world offers. Listen to Him tell it: ‘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)
Glory Hallelujah my faithful brethren! What an awesome promise! And if you still don’t believe that Christ can bring you peace amidst the world’s troubles, then listen to this other affirmation of His. ‘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 that ought to sober us up and stop our flagrant, wasteful worrying because it’s the undeniable truth!
Then there’s this quote: ‘My life isn’t perfect, but I am thankful for what I have.’ Now that’s the declaration (yesss!!!) of a mature believer! One who has peace in Christ and knows that life isn’t perfect, in fact it will never be perfect, but they are nonetheless thankful for whatever they have.
Like Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengetheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13) There again friends, it’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who strengthens us and allows and helps us to endure whatever circumstance we encounter, and to do so with a thankful spirit. Isn’t He just great! He surely is!
That brings us to this next quote: ‘No matter how good you are, people will judge you according to their mood and needs.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Especially in today’s selfish and fraudulent society! It’s sad, but people are so needy and unstable, more so since almost three years of the Covid pandemic, that they are liable to turn on you for no good reason, on a whim and fancy, although you are doing your best to help them.
So that’s the unfortunate state to which our society has fallen. It’s every man for himself, regardless of what that selfishness and greed causes. And in getting there, through the revered auspices of the social media, we’ve become a rather judgemental society. Yes, it’s now the custom for us to expound on matters that we know absolutely nothing about. And the sad part is that through the social media we can do that anonymously, without being taken to task for our atrocious behaviour and comments.
But that’s the new world we live in. Jesus’ admonition on the subject has now been completely thrown out the window. Do we even remember that He said: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) But too many people are getting away with unfair judgement because of the anonymity provided by social media.
However, as the old people would say, we all get our comeuppance at some time in some way. The Lord is a just God and He will judge rightly and justly. And because of all the above, we come to this last unwise quote. ‘LOVE yourself first and everything else falls into line.’ Now that’s not what Jesus teaches, but with the sorry state of our world, you really can’t blame people if they behave thus. It takes a strong, confident and mature believer to put others before themselves.
And how does Jesus desire us to live? He says: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) That means we ought to LOVE God, ourselves and our neighbours with all of our being. It’s of supreme importance in our faith walk.
One of the many problems we face though is that too many of us don’t LOVE ourselves, and that’s not meaning in a narcissistic, vain or self-absorbed manner, but just genuinely caring for and liking ourself. When we look in the mirror, we must see someone whom we like, someone whose company we don’t mind being in, someone we’re willing to treat kindly. But until we can do that for ourselves, we’ll never be able to like our neighbours, because you can’t give away what you don’t have. So today, I’m pleading with us to get serious about LOVING God and ourselves, so that we can LOVE our neighbors and bring about the kind of world that Jesus desires. Much LOVE!
…in a world filled with hate and evil…only true LOVE and goodness…can make an appreciable difference…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
31 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer, belief creates the actual fact, do not allow others to dim your shine, enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised, go to bed satisfied, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, LOVE, my God shall supply all my needs, New Year's Eve, open doors for yourself, our attitude affects our reactions, prepare yourself through prayer and study of god's word, profitable for doctrine reproofcorrection, shine brightly, stop knocking on closed doors, the hard knocks of life, the only true facts are found in the Bible, these things I have spoken unto you, truth is whatever you believe, wake up determined, we are the light of the world
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Now, it’s a wet, drizzly and cloudy New Year’s Eve in my neighbourhood, but I definitely prefer that to the white stuff some people are getting, and others have not dug themselves out of since the big snowfall on Christmas weekend. It’s been a rough time for many North Americans, thankfully though, my area didn’t get the snow others got, we just got rain and howling winds for a couple of days.
And though the rain will no doubt dampen some of the New Year’s Eve excitement, I’m sure it won’t curtail the basic exuberance of many partygoers, who will party on, come rain, snow or shine. (smile) But since it’s Saturday, let’s take a look at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first one says: ‘Belief creates the actual fact.’ Now that’s something that’s spouted by the world, but it certainly isn’t true. Yes, what you believe might become a fact to you, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually a truthful fact. For example, many people, believe there is no God, does that make it a fact that there is no God! Absolutely not! It’s the same way back in time when they believed that the world was flat, but that didn’t mean it was flat, although some still argue that fact today. (smile).
And in today’s confused society there are so many truths that you will trip over them if you’re not careful. Whatever you believe nowadays is considered truth; that’s your truth, but that doesn’t make it factual or even true. The only things we can believe that are true and also factual are the words of God written in His venerable library, the Bible. Why? Because it is a collection of ‘divine instruction.’
As Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Now that’s where belief meets truth and facts!
Then there’s this quote: ‘I’m not going to continue knocking on that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.’ Now the first part of that statement makes sense, why bother knocking on a door that’s no longer opening for you. However, the next part of the statement is somewhat tricky, especially if you are a believer in Christ Jesus. The world says that you must press ahead and open doors for yourself, but Almighty God desires that you wait and let Him open doors for you.
In His divine plan for our lives, He closes them and also opens them as He sees fit. And the worst mistake we can ever make is to try and open doors for ourselves that the Lord doesn’t want us to go through, or He’s not ready for us to go through. I can speak on that from personal experience. You’ll just keep bouncing your head until you wake up and realize your mistake, or He thinks it’s time to open that door.
Now that doesn’t mean you just sit and do nothing while waiting for God to open the next door. No! You prepare yourself through prayer and study of His word and whatever is behind the door that will be opened. For lots of time the door doesn’t open because you’re not ready, knowledgeable and experienced enough to manage the promotion that opened door will bring.
And the next quote advises: ‘Wake up determined, go to bed satisfied.’ Yes, that’s certainly an interesting quote, one to which we should all aspire! We should be determined every day to do God’s will, whatever it might be! After giving thanks for seeing another morn, then we ask for His purpose and guidance, our daily bread, so that we can fulfill His desires for that day. Then we get moving and are obedient to His will. That way, we can go to bed at night satisfied!
And in the process of doing God’s will, the next quote tells us: ‘Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put some sunglasses on.’ Now is that ever so true, since in our daily journey the enemy will send naysayers to belittle or lessen us in the eyes of the world. But once we know we are doing God’s will, let’s not allow them to do that!
Yes, if they think we’re shining too brightly, then they ought to put on sunglasses, because Jesus said that we’re the light of the world, and we should shine, shine bright and sparkling all over the world! On the other hand, if they would just accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, they would be able to shine bright and sparkling like us! (smile)
And the last quote says: ‘Not having the best situation, but seeing the best in your situation is the key to happiness.’ That certainly has some truth to it. It’s a proven fact that our attitude towards our situations always affects our reactions to them. And it’s definitely the key to our response. A negative attitude will engender or produce doubt, fear and an inability to deal successfully with the situation. However, a positive attitude, though it might not change the circumstances, will allow you to think clearly and find a way out without the added baggage of fear and doubt.
But overall, that consistent kind of positive attitude is only possible when Jesus is your Guide and Leader, since He is the One who empowers us to have that attitude. Remember these words of Bruh Paul: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, it’s through His power that we are able to stand strong and steadfast through whatever circumstances we encounter. It’s through belief in His goodness and mercy, like Bruh Paul says later on: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my fellow believers, we’re living in a tough, cruel and evil world, but if we believe the words of Jesus, like these enlightening and encouraging ones: ‘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 definitely done that through His death and resurrection.
So, if we allow words like those to continually simmer and bubble in our hearts and souls, ready to be used at an instant’s notice, then we will be able to overcome the hard knocks of life and enjoy the abundant life that He’s promised. But it all depends on us: on our sincere belief, trust and surrender to Him! Much LOVE!
…until you really get to know Jesus…you won’t really know how wonderful He is…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, a lazy day Saturday, a new realm of possibility opens up, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, be positive, but with God all things are possible, dwell in possibility, failure is never final until you stop trying, happiness is based on circumstances, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I know how to abound, I know how to be abased, if the Son sets you free you are free indeed, in me ye might have peace, inspiration comes from within, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, Jesus calms the storms in our lives, joined forces with God, reality intervened, shine our lights, spread our saltiness all over the world, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the joy of the Lord is your strength, with men this is impossible, you do not find the happy life you make it
Matthew 19:26. With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.
And is there ever good reason for today to be called a lazy day Saturday! Oh yes! The rain’s falling, the wind’s blowing, it’s dark, cloudy and fairly chilly! Great reasons all for staying in bed under the covers, just dozing in and out of consciousness, or lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching the boob-tube! (smile)
Well, I’ve already done what lazing I could safely get away with, but unfortunately reality intervened, as it always does, letting me know that the Lord’s work was waiting to be done. And like the obedient follower I try to be, (smile) here I am considering, obviously with the Lord’s help, what to write about the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first quote says: ‘I dwell in possibility.’ Now that’s definitely a good place to dwell because it opens a much wider variety of possibilities than if one dwelt in impossibility. (smile) But then, the question needs to be asked how much is really possible in man’s strength alone? And the answer comes, not a whole lot! However, when one has joined forces with the Lord God of the universe through His most august Son, Jesus Christ, then a whole new realm of possibility opens up to you.
And how is that you ask? Well, it stems from Jesus’ conversation with His disciples about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Then He made this overwhelming, but ever so true statement: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26) And that statement is totally supported by God’s creation of the universe and all therein, and His total control of everything and everyone that exists in it. That’s why it’s ever so important to stay in God’s good graces if one wants to have unlimited possibilities in this life.
That brings us to this next interesting quote. ‘Inspiration comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you’re positive, good things happen.’ Now, there’s a lot of truth in those statements, but not the entire truth. First off, not all inspiration comes from within oneself because we can be inspired by things, places and people outside of ourselves. Although, in a way, you can argue that for that outside inspiration to move you, it must first get into you spirit, therefore the inspiration came from within. (smile)
Yes, I am trying to be the devil’s advocate. And being positive is wisdom of the highest order, although it’s not only good things that happen when you have a positive mindset, but certainly more good things happen than bad when you are positively inclined. But in all of our positivity friends, we still need Jesus to get us through the storms of life that will bombard us, for He is the ONLY ONE who can calm storms and/or lead us safely through them. And He ALONE gives us the strength, energy, hope and faith to withstand whatever comes against in this world filled with tribulation.
Remember His words of sincere and faithful assurance. ‘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 that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Jesus by His death, resurrection and ascension has defeated the powers of darkness, took away the keys to Hades from Satan and set us captives of sin free. And Jesus corroborates that earlier on, when He says: ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36)
Now that’s why Bruh Paul could pen these marvellous words of encouragement to the church at Philippi after receiving a gift from them. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul was saying that though he appreciated their gift, he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. And that comes from his relationship with Christ, who through His spiritual strength and encouragement enables Bruh Paul to adapt to whatever circumstances he’s currently facing. And Christ will do the same thing for us if we put our sincere trust and faith in Him.
That leads us to this next quote: ‘You do not find the happy life. You make it.’ And that’s no lie. Happiness doesn’t just fall from the sky on us, we have to do certain things to become happy and to stay happy, for happiness can be a very fleeting thing, based so much on our circumstances of the moment. The first thing to understand is that we need to make ourselves happy. Even if we are showered with all the wealth and power in the world, we still have to decide to be happy.
And the next point is that we cannot depend on any one person for all of our happiness. It’s just not possible because of the way human relationships can be very topsy-turvy; fine one moment, then in total disarray the next. That’s why we believers in Christ Jesus talk about joy rather than happiness, because joy is something that’s deep-seated and stable and doesn’t change from one minute to the next. With Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you can go through tough times and still be joyful. That’s why Bruh Paul said he could handle any situation with Jesus in his life. That’s why the Bible tells us: ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Christ Jesus empowers us!
And that’s nowhere more evident than in this last quote. ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ Yes, whichever ball player said those words knew the secret of success; never give up. Just keep on trying. And failure is never failure until you stop trying. As Cousin Sol writes in Proverbs: ‘For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity). (Prov. 24:16)
Yes, my fellow saints, the righteous man, the one who has Jesus as his guide and leader never gives up because in Jesus’ kingdom there’s no giving up, the word failure doesn’t exist! No matter how many times he may fail, with Jesus’ help, he gets back up again and keeps on trying until he succeeds! And that’s a very valuable lesson we badly need to renew in our souls and spirits this lazy Saturday morning.
Why? Because in these recent times of much confusion and uncertainty, the body of Christ, His church, has been very frail and fragile, beset by way too much doubt, fear and lethargy. We have not been strong and steadfast as we were expected to be. But now it’s time for the body of Christ to rise up and show this evil world the true qualities of Christ, as we boldly shine our lights and spread our saltiness all over this turbulent globe! Much LOVE!
…I can do anything…that Christ asks of me…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
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
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