23 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a biblical way of life, a bunch of ingrates, a meaningful prayer, a peace that trancedns all human understanding, a peace that's totally different from the world's, a strong faith, a way of relating to God, according to his riches in glory, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anger, ascendance in earthly power, be moved to compassion, be of good cheer, breathtaking spectacle, calm in the midst of the storm, change the world, Christ's miraculous resurrection, Christian faith, christianity, Christians, come unto me, compassion for the less fortunate, defeating Satan hell death and the grave, dicison, division, does not burn people out, Easter celebrations, encompasses everything, endure to the end, evil and ungodly world, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, filled with your peace, find rest unto your souls, flowing through me, gentle and humble, give I unto you, God's peace, hands on the plough, headline increase panic, healing words, help us, help us breathe and turn to you, help us not to forget anyone, help us remain calm, holy spirit, I am meek and lowly in heart, i have overcome the world, I will give you rest, ignore people on the margins, in Jesus' name, in the world ye shall have tribulation, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, justified, lay siege, learn from me, leave us anxious, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, mercy, miraculous action, more effective than efficient, more faithful than fashionable, more fulfilling than frustrating, more practical than pragmatic, move peacefully through the day, my God shall supply all your needs, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, not as the world giveth, not turning back, our conversations, our times get rough, panic, Peace i leave with you, peole are rushing, personal circumstances, put our total trust in Jesus, reconciled, redeemed, repentance, rest for both body and soul, rose from the grave, rushing, salvation, sanctified, second wind day, speak gentle healing words, step out in faith, strength and endurance for the course, surrender our lives to Jesus, take my yoke upon you, tempted to, thank God, the annals of man, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the Great Invitation of Jesus, the less fortunate, to a glorious future with Jesus, to conquer our Christian walk, tough times, truth, unsettled state of our world, Wednesday Wail, whosoever will may come, wisdom
John 14:27a. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Oh Friends, I can’t believe that it’s already Wednesday, our second wind day of the work week! But I guess when you’re caught up in the joy of the Easter Celebrations, the days pass by so quickly that you hardly notice them. And to tell the truth, any reason for catching a second wind today won’t be from work, but from the intensity and excitement of the celebrations. I’m sure most of us who were off on Monday didn’t do much work yesterday, so what second wind is there to catch eh? (smile) None but that from the revelry and breathtaking spectacle of Christ’s miraculous resurrection, which ultimately provided salvation and eternal life to a bunch of ingrates like we human beings!
There could not be a bigger and better moment in the annals of man! For in that miraculous action, Jesus redeemed, reconciled, justified and sanctified us. Wow! In those four words lie the basis of our Christian faith, therefore we do have a duty to uphold what they mean by allowing them to show forth in our lives. And sometimes we need help to do so, because it’s not always easy living in this evil and ungodly world, especially like right now, when Satan and his cronies have the ascendance in earthly power. But we know that won’t last forever, however to help us get through these tough times let’s offer up this prayer from the In Touch April Devotional.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, when people around us are rushing, help us move peacefully through the day. When anger and division lay siege to our conversations, help us speak gentle, healing words. When headlines increase the panic in others’ hearts, help us remain calm and be moved to compassion. When we’re tempted to ignore people on the margins, help us not to forget anyone. When our personal circumstances leave us anxious, help us breathe and turn to you. May we be filled with Your peace, and may it change the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s what you’d call a very meaningful prayer, for it encompasses all the things and times we need to conquer in our daily Christian walk and help turn our world around. Negative things like rushing, anger, division, panic, ignoring the less fortunate, and self-pity when our own circumstances become negative. And we need to conquer them with God’s peace, gentle, healing words, calm in the midst of the storms of life, compassion for the less fortunate, and a strong faith when our own times get rough.
And that’s exactly what Jesus offers. Listen as He opens up His very heart and soul to us when He makes the following statements. The first 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) Yes, my faithful brethren, Jesus gives us a peace that is totally different from what the world offers. And Bruh Paul explains that as the peace that surpasses or transcends all human understanding. (Phil. 4:7) Now with that kind of peace in our hearts, we can react positively to any and everything.
And if that doesn’t convince you, then listen to Jesus’ other offer of peace, where He solemnly and faithfully declares (yesss!!!): ‘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 did do that when He arose majestically from the grave on Easter Sunday, thus defeating Satan, hell, death and the grave! So there’s no need to be worried, or be afraid, because we have all that we need to overcome the world in our own small way.
And if you still have doubts, then listen as Jesus offers what we call 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) And there’s absolutely no doubt that many of us today are fretfully labouring and heavy laden with the panicked and unsettled state of our world. That means we definitely need Jesus, because He’s the ONLY ONE who can calm our fears and relieve our circumstances…that is, if we surrender our lives to Him and put our total trust in Him.
For, hear the wonderful things He offers; rest for both our bodies and souls, a kind and gentle personality, an easy yoke and a light load. And this commentary explains that’s ‘a biblical way of life that is more fulfilling than frustrating, more effective than efficient, more practical than pragmatic, and more faithful than fashionable. This is a way of relating to God that does not burn people out but instead gives them strength and endurance for the course.’
Now what more can we ask for eh my faithful brethren? Absolutely nothing! For Jesus encompasses ALL we can ever want or need! And Bruh Paul corroborates that with this marvellous promise from his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my people, all the promises are there for us, but they will not fall on us automatically, no, we have to step out in faith and receive them. That’s the way we show our trust in and surrender to Jesus. He says, that ALL His promises are for whosoever comes to Him in repentance. It doesn’t matter your race, creed, physical, emotional or mental state, whether you’re rich or poor, for we all need salvation, and He’s the ONLY ONE who can provide that!
And once you’re received salvation, then you’ll joyfully declare our Wednesday Wail in loud voice and strong conviction. ‘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 if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, there’s the promise of seeing an even more glorious future than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so that we can enjoy that most glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…He created us…He can destroy us…but most importantly…He can also save us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chaotic mess, a just man falls seven times, addresses the problem, anchored to you, anxious, be a weatherer, bends but doesn't break, Bible, by my side, christianity, Christians, come to know and love him like we do, controlled by circumstances, controlled by Satan, diligence, endures peacefully, evil and ungodly times, excellence, experience every day, explores uncertainty with gentleness, faint in the day of adversity, faith, fear of man, fear of negative circumstances, fearful, God is in the middle of our every battle, good or bad, Guide, he delights in his way, he shall not be utterly cast down, holy spirit, hurry, I can't take it anymore, in a timely and efficient manner, in god's eyes, in Jesus' name, in the face of overwhelming odds, in the swing of things, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, know who we are in Christ, laughs easily, learn from our mistakes, learn the word, like an ocean wave, lock stock and barrel, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, make mistakes, many are the afflictions of the righteous, mercy, mount up with wings as eagles, mourns losses wholeheartedly, negativity, no resilience in us, none of his bones are broken, one who celebrates victories liberally, overwhelming odds, pilot, rewards are worth the sacrifice, rise fall and carry on, rises up again, run and not be weary, salvation, shall renew their strength, share His love with my neighbours, share the amazing love and friendship of Christ, storms of life, stumble into calamity, successfully navigate the storms, surfing, surrender our all to Christ, teach me to ride each circumstance, the beloved of God, the Lord delivers him out of them all, the Lord upholds him with his hand, the poisonous atmosphere of the world, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, the wicked shall fall into mischief, the world is troubled, they that wait upon he Lord, though he fall, thy strength is small, to determine the shape of my life, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk and not faint, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 24:16. For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief (stumble into calamity).
And after Monday comes Tuesday; a day we don’t dislike half as much as Monday. (smile) That’s because by the time Tuesday rolls around, we’ve sort of gotten back into the swing of things. You’ll be surprised at how anxious or even fearful one can become on returning to work after a mere two days off, because anything untoward could have happened in the break, especially in these ungodly and evil times. And this prayer from the January In Touch Devotional addresses the problem in a most timely and efficient manner.
So, please pray with me: ‘Lord, the world is so troubled. Sometimes I can’t take it anymore. But I don’t want negativity to determine the shape of my life. God, don’t let me be controlled by circumstances. Instead, teach me to ride each one, good or bad, like an ocean wave – to rise, fall, and carry on. Let me be a weatherer: one who bends but doesn’t break, no matter what comes my way – a person who celebrates victories liberally, mourns losses wholeheartedly, explores uncertainty with gentleness, laughs easily, and endures peacefully. May I be anchored to You through it all, knowing You experience every day by my side. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s a good prayer, and if many more believers could follow that behaviour, our world would definitely not be in the chaotic mess that it’s currently in. But too many of us cannot weather the storms of life, we bend and do break. There’s no resilience in us. Who knows why? Perhaps through fear of man, and fear of our very negative, heartbreaking and painful circumstances. We lack encouragement to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds. And that will most certainly be the case if we don’t have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, our Guide and Pilot though the many storms that life throws at us.
That’s why the prayer pleads to be anchored to God through all our ups and downs, for He is right there in the middle of them all with us. Not by the side, or somewhere off in the distant, but right in the middle of every battle that we’re called on to fight. Therefore, accepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour is the number One priority in any human’s life, because it’s only with His help, though His Holy Spirit Living in us, that we can ever successfully navigate the stormy, evil and poisonous atmosphere of this world, currently controlled by Satan and his dangerous cronies.
And I like how the prayer asks for the ability to ride out each circumstance, be it good or bad. It brings to mind the sport of surfing, where adventurous people attempt to ride the high and ofttimes rough waves as they crash toward the shore. Now, like everything else we desire to be good at, that takes much practice. You have to fall off, get enveloped in the waves, and on occasion even feel like you’re drowning, but with each unsuccessful attempt, it’s ever so necessary to get back up and try again, until you can perform the feat successfully.
And life is just like learning to surf my fellow believers. You’re going to make mistakes, but each time you have to get back up and learn from it. That’s why Cousin Sol offers this lifesaving advice. ‘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 friends, falling is a natural aspect of life, but getting up is where the boys are separated from the men. And you can only do that on a consistent basis if you have the Lord God Jehovah, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as your God.
That’s what Jesus enables us to do; get back up and move forward with vim and vigour. And this verse from the prophet Isaiah exemplifies it like no other. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:31) Now, isn’t that a most excellent reason to make Jesus the Lord and Saviour of your life? Of course it is! Because we are all struggling for health, wealth and strength in this difficult and disastrous world, and ONLY Jesus promises to help us achieve our goals.
However, what we must realize from the very outset is, although we’re in league with Jesus, we will still face problems; many of them, and big ones too. Jesus is not there to always take away our problems, but mostly to help us through them. As Bruh David says in Psalm 34: ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.’ (Ps. 34:19-20) And in Psalm 37, Bruh David again tells of God’s delight in a good man. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps. 37:23-24)
Yes friends, that’s how it is when we obey the Lord’s will and stay in His good graces. But the onus is on us to get close to God, and stay close to Him. And that can only be done if we seek God sincerely, through His Son Jesus Christ. That requires surrendering our all to Him, asking Him to come into our lives and lead and guide us from henceforth. Then we have to learn His Word, the Bible, so that we can know who we are in Christ. For we are nothing without Him! Then live the new life He desires of us with diligence and excellence. It’s not easy, but the rewards are certainly worth it. And you’ll never know about it until you try it.
So, if you’ve never tried Jesus, please do so today nuh. It’s the best decision you’ll ever make in this mortal life. Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it now behooves us to go out into the world and 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!
…if thou faint in the day of adversity…thy strength is small… (Prov. 24:10)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, accepting one's limitations, are riches honour and life, as a means of restoring faith in you, as seriously as my own, as your Father in heaven is perfect, be better witnesses for Christ, be the children of your Father in heaven, be ye therefore perfect, being modest in our self-assessment, Bible, bless them that curse you, blessed are the poor in spirit, bright, bushy tailed, by humility and the fear of the Lord, by the example your faithful believers set, christianity, consider their heart, consults you often, disastrous times, discontent, dismisses other opinions, disregard anyone, dissatisfaction, divine aid, do good to them that hate you, don't think too little of ourselves, don't think too much of ourselves, embrace your love and compassion, even the publicans the same, faith, Friday chant, God gives grace to the humble, God resists the proud, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, greet your brethren only, have no use for God, he makes his sun to rise, he that humbles himself shall be exalted, holy spirit, humble yourselves in the sight of God, humbled, humility - one of the hardest virtues to attain, I pray for humility, I trust you to do it, if you love those who love you, in Jesus' name, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, look down on others, LOVE, love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy, love your enemy, maintaining a sense of perspective, make or break, mercy, no matter one's background, omnipotent help, on the evil and on the good, our sinful world, persecute you, positive strides, pray for those who spitefully use you, pride, pride is the enemy of humility, problems escalating, put up barriers, rest, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, see people as, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee
Matthew 23:12. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).
Here comes the weekend! And as we offer up, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ we’ll either have a chance to get in some much-needed rest, or one more go round of the new year celebrations. (smile) But whatever we do for the weekend, let’s ensure that come Monday, we’re bright and bushy-tailed, ready to do a good week’s work for Jesus, because this year is either going to make or break a lot of things and people, and only as we believers make some positive strides will things get better.
Now, today I want to share the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for December. And is it ever a most appropriate prayer for these proud, haughty and arrogant times. So please pray with me: ‘God, I pray for humility – the kind that doesn’t dismiss other opinions, that truly listens, no matter a person’s background, that consults You often and with ease. Sometimes I put up barriers and look down on others. But Lord, don’t let my pride lead me to disregard anyone – including You. Help me see people as Your beloved creations and consider their heart as seriously as my own. Only You can create this humility, Lord. I trust you to do it. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Now that’s something we are all guilty of, to one extent or the other! For we all have some level of pride that causes us to look down on others and not value their opinions, ofttimes for rather petty, shortsighted and ungodly reasons. Like they don’t look, or act, or believe like us. They are richer or poorer than us…and the list goes on. But that’s so much foolishness it’s not funny, because we have all been made in the image of God, and though we might not look, think, act, or believe the same, we all still have value and worth and deserve to be heard, and treated with respect.
That’s how Jesus behaved and taught us to behave. Remember these momentous words of His. ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully, maliciously) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
Oh my people, Jesus is certainly asking a lot of us, but it’s nothing that He Himself didn’t do. And obviously we won’t be able to do it as well as He did, but if we believe and practice the main ingredient that’s necessary to accomplish that task, we will definitely come up higher. And what’s that main ingredient? Well, it’s simply what we’ve been talking about before; that’s humility! And believe me, humility is one of the hardest virtues to attain, because we all have pride, which is the very enemy of humility.
And pride is one of the seven things that Cousin Sol says the Lord considers an abomination. (Prov. 6:16-19) Why? Because when we’re filled with too much pride, we don’t tend to have any use for God. We believe we can do it all on our own, which is the furthest thing from the truth. But before we get to discussing humility, I guess we ought to get a decent definition of it. And I like this one: ‘Humility is the quality of being modest or respectful in one’s self-assessment and behavior. It involves recognizing and accepting one’s limitations, valuing others’ contributions, and maintaining a sense of perspective.’
Yes, we don’t need to abase ourselves, thinking that we’re no good to be humble, because we all have something to contribute. But neither ought we to think too much of ourselves. So, let’s look at a few of the many scriptures on the subject of humility. Beginning with this one from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘When pride cometh, then cometh shame (disgrace): but with the lowly (humble, humility) is (comes) wisdom.’ (Prov. 11:2) Then there’s this other one from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘By humility and the fear (reverence) of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.’ (Prov. 22:4) And there’s no disputing that my faithful brethren!
Then James, the brother of Jesus, gives us a couple of good ones in his epistle, namely: ‘But he (God) giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:6) Then there’s scripture we all know but don’t practice enough. ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10) And let’s remember Christ’s teaching on the subject. ‘But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (lifted up).’ (Matt. 23:11-12)
Now that ought to make it very clear that the Lord values humility above most things. Please notice too, that His Son, Jesus Christ first came to earth in a very humble state, not because He had to, but because that was the necessary attribute for the time. However, please note that the next time He comes, then, it will be with all the pomp and splendour of a victorious warrior and King! So, with all of that under our belts, and in our hearts and minds, (smile) let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help in these disastrous times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for 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. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. 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. 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!’
Now, let’s get out into the world and be better witnesses for Christ, if we expect to receive divine aid! Much LOVE!
…blessed are the poor in spirit…the humble…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… (Matt. 5:4)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
12 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a, a christlike desire, a dwelling place for good things, are worth nourishing, believers use the word desire, Bible, bitter envying, blessed are they, can't stop thinking of someone you love, christianity, confusion, Consider This, consumed by lust, demonic, demonic schemes, desires can also be good, do not boast, earthly, easy to be intreated, enter into the kingdom of heaven, envy, epeaceable, except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, faith, feel the urge, focus our attention on, full of mercy, gentle, glory not, god, good fruits, greed, holy spirit, in a negative mannerbelievers use the word desire, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, insatiable longings, Jesus Christ, lay up treasures in heaven, lean into that yearning, light a fire under us, long to pursue a God-given dream, longings, LOVE, may abound more and more, meditate, mercy, noble, of virtue, on earth as it is in heaven, only half the picture, persecuted for righteousness sake, priseworthy, pure, Remembrance Day, right activities, right thoughts, salvation, seek first God's kingdom, sensual, sensuality, shall be with you, share His love with my neighbours, sown in peace, stife, that bring heaven to earth, the beloved of God, the fruit of righteousness, the God of peace, the wisdom from above, the work of righteousness shall be peace, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, things that are honest, things that are pure, think about good and heavenly things, think on these things, those things that relfect God's character, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, to celebrate a friend's accomplishment, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, without hypocrisy, without partiality, worry, ye shall in no case, your love
James 3:18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Then it was Tuesday…and all the hoopla over Remembrance Day is over, and we put the dead and the remaining few veterans back into their box for another year. And as one commentator said, sadly, every year the remembrances get a li’l less significant. He remembers the celebrations being much bigger and better attended in earlier years. But I guess that’s life; as more of us who lived during the wars die out, and our History is not being properly and correctly taught in our schools, fewer people will pay attention to those kinds of celebrations, and thus they will become less important as time goes by.
But be that as it may, this morning I want to share an interesting comment from the ‘Consider This’ Section of this month’s InTouch Devotional. Please read with me: ‘When believers use the word ‘desire,’ it’s often negative. We use it to describe being consumed by lust, envy, greed, or other insatiable longings. But that’s only half the picture. Desires can also be good. When you feel the urge to celebrate a friend’s accomplishment, long to pursue a God-given dream, or can’t stop thinking about a person you LOVE, lean into that yearning.
Those are feelings God wants us to experience. So, the next time you desire something, take the opportunity to pause. Prayerfully ask yourself what about the desire might be Christlike and what isn’t. When the Holy Spirit is living inside you, you become a dwelling place for good things. And those longings – the ones that bring heaven to earth – are worth nourishing.’
Yes friends, anything that brings heaven to earth is worth nourishing and encouraging! For as Jesus said in the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer – ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:10)
Oh my people, we are intended and expected to replicate whatever happens in heaven as much as possible on this earth. That’s why we lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven, and not on earth. (Matt. 6:19-21) Why we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness first before anything else on earth. (Matt; 6:33) Why we think about good and heavenly things as much as possible.
That’s why Bruh Paul encourages the Philippians and consequently us: ‘Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
That’s invaluable information my fellow believers. To keep God’s peace, we need to occupy our minds with the right thoughts, and busy ourselves with the right activities. And I like how this commentary explains those verses. It says: ‘The point of this passage is that we focus our attention on those things that reflect God’s character and on those things that come from Him. God wants us to fill our minds with the truth and to contemplate those things that are right.’ And that’s the only way we can be and remain godly in this evil filled world!
And James, in his epistle, explains it thus: ‘But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts (self-seeking exist), glory not (do not boast), and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish (demonic). For where envying and strife is (self-seeking exist), there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated (willing to yield), full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:14-18)
That obviously tells us that most of the stuff that’s currently going on in our world is certainly not from heaven or God-centered, because it’s overly filled with those things James mentioned as not being good, namely, strife, envying, confusion, earthly sensuality and demonic schemes that lead to evil doings.
That also reminds us of these words form Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil. 1:9-11)
Ah friends our earthly journey is supposed to be all about, LOVE, peace, goodness, and righteousness. As Isaiah writes on the Effects of Righteousness. ‘Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.’ (Is. 32:16-17) So please, let’s get our lives straight and begin seriously seeking those things that be of God, and not those that be of man and this evil, demonic world.
And these words of Jesus ought to light a fire under us. ‘For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case (by no means) enter into the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 5:20) Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, we are now obligated to go out and 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!
…blessed are they…which are persecuted for righteousness sake…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… (Matt. 5:10)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Oct 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a source of strength, a spiritual rebirth, according to his riches in glory, all things are become new, an intimate union between the believer and Christ, any man be in Christ, born again, created in Christ, discouragement, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fill me with your peace., glad to be alive, God's handiwork, good pleasure of His will, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is a new creation, help me to see myself as you do, human frailty, I am the vine ye are the branches, I live by faith in the Son of God, I long for est, In Touch Devotional, insecurity, Jesus Christ, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, not looking back, old things are passed away, our identity in Christ, question descions I've made, reconciled to himself by Jesus Christ, relieve me of self doubt, replay conversations in my head, salvation, teach me to be confident, thank God, the adoption od children, the breath of life, the life which I now live in the flesh, the longing to reach out and touch, the transformative power of faith, to a glorious future with Jesus, to acknowledge weaknesses without judgement, to do good works., to know who I am in you, true security, truth, we're nothing without Jesus, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
Galatians 2:20b. …and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.
And it looks like another nice day in my neck of the woods. Possibly not as warm, but still beautiful for this time of year. So let’s say thanks, and enjoy it, for this might just be the last of its kind this year. (smile) Now, let’s delve into the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for October.
Please pray with me: ‘God, some days I feel unsure. I replay conversations in my head and question decisions I’ve made. I long for rest – for true security – and can’t find it. Help me to see myself as You do, to look in the mirror and see a precious creation made by a good Father. Teach me to be confident in my strengths and to acknowledge weaknesses without judgement. I pray for confidence, to know who I am in You. Relieve me of self-doubt, Lord, and fill me instead with Your Peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
And yuh know what friends, that prayer is very applicable to all of us at some time or other in our Christian walk, because we all face times of self-doubt, discouragement and insecurity, although deep down we know that we’re LOVED, protected and belong to a wonderful family, with a marvellous Father at its head. That’s just the human frailty in us. The uncontrollable longing to reach out and touch, touch something or someone more secure than ourselves. And we can only rebound from those insecurities by turning to God and His Word to remind us of all the good things we have though Jesus Christ.
And that’s the most important thing to realize; that we’re nothing without Jesus, and everything with Him. As He says so definitively in the gospel of John. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) And the very basis of Christianity is found in our identity in Christ. Yes friends, this Christian life is all about who we are in Christ, for it’s only through Christ’s deeds and powers that we can become the children of God.
The scriptures tell us that when we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, we become new people. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:17-18) That means we become new people, born again, undergoing a spiritual rebirth. And that it was God’s deepest desire to reconcile us back to Himself through Christ Jesus, which ought to give us the confidence of LOVE and security we need.
When we accept Christ, and become spiritually born again, we are also adopted into God’s family. As the Bible says: ‘Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.’ (Eph. 1:5) Yes, from beforehand the Lord hath appointed those who would believe in Christ to become His sons, and that not through any thing we have done, but purely through His goodness and grace.
And this commentary from the biblestudytools.com website gives an interesting insight into the whole matter. ‘The concept of being “in Christ” is a recurring theme, suggesting an intimate union between the believer and Jesus. This union is often portrayed as a source of strength, security, and purpose. Christians are called to find their identity in Christ, recognizing that their worth and significance come from their relationship with Him rather than worldly standards.
Ephesians 2:10 for example, states that believers are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This implies a divine purpose and a sense of belonging that shapes the Christian identity. Overall, the traditional Christian understanding of identity in Christ is rooted in the transformative power of faith, emphasizing a new and purposeful life found through a personal relationship with Jesus.’
Meanwhile Galatians reinforces that all we are is through Christ. ‘For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’ (Gal. 2:19-20)
And the scholars offer this explanation on those verses. ‘To be crucified with Christ means the believer has been freed from the law (vs. 19), and from the ruling power of sin that was aroused by the law. Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me is interpreted, “And I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Since the believer has been freed from the law and sin, the old sinful life no longer asserts itself as formerly.
Instead, “Christ liveth in me;” that is, Jesus cultivates within the believer (Paul) His own desires, virtues, character, and power, thus morally transforming him and working through him in others. Paul lives his current life by the faith of (in) the Son of God , that is by depending on Him for strength and all necessities.’
Likewise my fellow believers, we ought to live our current lives though faith in Christ, and depend on Him for all that we need. As these two well-known scriptures remind us This first one from Bruh Paul. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philp. 4:19) And this one from Jesus Himself. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) So, we need to realize that this Christian life is all about Jesus; nothing else! And we can get all we need from that miraculous relationship!
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere 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!’
But here’s another promise; if we endure to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s plan to meet up at the very end and enjoy it together nuh! Much LOVE!
…the Christian life is all about Christ…and without Him…you cannot live it successfully…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bit uncomfortable, a greedy selfish and jealous place, a true disciple of Jesus, assistance, attention, bet your bottom dollar, Bible, charitable organizations, Christian brethren, christianity, Christians, Consider This, courage, curse, divine protection, easy to receive, encouraging words, faith, favour, felt lavish, give, give and it shall be given to you, giving is like a boomerang, god, good measure, hard to give, hard to wrap our minds around Jesus' love, hate to give, have the impulse to giver, In Touch Devotional, it shall be returned to you again, Jesus Christ, Jesus' generoisty is extravagant, kindness, LOVE, love to receive, makes us feel treasured, man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, money, negative word, over the top, pressed dwon, promotion, prossper, relive that moment of generosity, running over, shaken together, shall men give into your bosom, sharing with others, succeed, success, talent, thankfulness, the gospel truth, the inequity in our world, time, truth, wisdom
Luke 6:38a. Give, and it shall be given unto you;
Well there’s no rain, and the sun’s out this somewhat cool, last Thursday morning in September. Imagine that nuh, we’re about to go into October and we’re still having twenty degree weather. I can certainly handle that! But have no fear, the cool weather will be here, sooner or later, you can bet your bottom dollar on it. (smile)
So let’s enjoy the good weather while it lasts, showing our thankfulness for it by sharing what we have with others in a more generous manner than we’ve done before. And to help us with this extra generosity, let’s check out this section from the September In Touch Devotional titled, ‘Consider This.’
Please read with me. ‘Can you think of a time someone was truly generous towards you, when you were given much more than you needed? When whatever you received – whether it was money, time, assistance, attention, or encouraging words – felt lavish, even over the top? Take a moment to relive that moment of generosity you experienced. A gift like that makes us feel treasured (and maybe a bit uncomfortable).
That’s why it can be hard to wrap our mind around Jesus’ LOVE and care for us. His generosity isn’t logical; it’s extravagant. Do you want to give that feeling to someone else? If so, here’s one way to start. The next time you have the impulse to give, decide what you want to offer. Then double it. Remember: Generosity is, by definition, excessive. It shouldn’t easily fit into your wallet or schedule. But it will make someone feel truly and deeply LOVED.’
Now that’s definitely a beautiful and very interesting proposal! And the part I particularly like about it is that about Jesus’ generosity being extravagant. I’ve never before thought about Jesus’ LOVE and care being extravagant, but it’s a most wonderful expression of His compassion for us. That brings to mind the thought about whether we are extravagant in our generosity?
Oh, I know that most of us aren’t. We give as little as possible, and definitely not more than we can afford, but as the passage says, ‘Generosity is, by definition, excessive.’ Yes. Our giving ought to be somewhat sacrificial, cause us a li’l pain, cause us to look to Jesus’ selfless and extravagant sacrifice for us. And yuh know what friends, our problem today is not so much being extravagant in our generosity, but being generous period! We hate to give…but do we ever LOVE to receive.
But we ought to remember these most significant words of our Lord and Saviour on the subject. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure ye mete (use) withal it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38)
Yes my Christian brethren, that’s a scripture we ought to hold much dearer and closer to our hearts than we currently do. If we did, our world would not be such a greedy, selfish and jealous place! For whatever we give, the same will be given back to us, and if we give with generosity, then even more than we give will be given back to us. Giving is like a boomerang; when we toss it away, it eventually comes back to us.
And the sad part is that in this wealthy and prosperous world, there are so many who desperately need sustenance, who’s lack is so obvious and distressing, that it hurts my heart just to think of it. I’ve known want in my time, but not like so many members of the world’s population currently do. It’s a crying shame that there’s so much wealth and provision available in our world and yet so many are suffering from terrible poverty, literally starving for food, clothing and shelter.
Sadly, the inequity of our world’s goods is completely out of whack. One percent of the population owns 90 percent of it, while the other 99 only own 10 percent. That obviously makes for much poverty and want. And our humanity, our supposed LOVE for Jesus and gratitude for all that He’s done for us, still doesn’t make us want to help our fellow man, wallowing deep in the mire of sickness and poverty.
What kind of Christians are we eh? Granted, many of us don’t have a whole lot ourselves, but we can, and we ought to sacrifice some for the benefit of others, as Jesus did for us. Our world today is filled with charitable organizations like never before. Now that should not be so with all the wealth and provision that’s in the world. But there again, the inequality of wealth causes so many to suffer.
The saying man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn, is ever so real in today’s world, when it shouldn’t be because of our overwhelming prosperity. That reminds me of a statement I copied from somewhere or the other, (smile) it says: ‘Kindness is the easiest thing to receive, yet it is hard for some people to give.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people. All of us expect kindness but we feel so hard done by to extend it.
And our world will never improve unless we believers start being more like our Lord and Saviour Jesus; being extravagant in our giving. And we can see that extravagance from our Godhead right in what we call our Thursday Blessings, that He’s poured on us undeserving humans to do His earthly work. That’s a most worthy example for us to set. Now let’s declare those blessings so we can activate them.
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, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…to give…to give…and yet to give…that’s being a true disciple of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, according to his excellent greatness, afraid, all things work together for good, at the hand of God, Bible, called according to His purpose, christianity, climate change, courage, creativity, Creator, curse, divine protection, duty bound, faith, faults and foibles, generously share our blessings, god, god of all comfort, God will help us fix whatever is wrong, help me understand everything in my heart, in the firmament of his power, In Touch Devotional, Jesus Christ, let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, LOVE, mercy, negative word, not receive evil, praise God in his sanctuary, praise him for his mighty acts, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, promotion, prosper and succeed, receive us with loving arms, shall we receive good, shout Hallelujah, supernatural wisdom, sustainer, talent, the Great God Jehovah, Thursday Blessings, to them that love God, true believers in Christ, trust, truth, upon the loud cymbals, what I'm afraid to see, what I've never noticed, what is pure and good, what's holding me back, wisdom, with stringed instruments and organs, you'll never leave me to face anything alone, your truth sets me free
Psalm 150:6. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).
Sorry Friends, but today, Thursday, the penultimate day of our work week, doesn’t look like it will live up to the summer image of the last few days, sunny and warm. In fact, it’s been forecasted to be somewhat cool and cloudy. And though we’d like every day of the summer season to be seasonally summer, (smile) we know that’s not always possible, especially with the vagaries of climate change, it’s unpredictable, unexpected behaviour.
And furthermore, since we are true believers in Christ Jesus, we understand as Job says to his wife: ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive (accept) evil (calamity)?’ (Job 2:10) That’s a very good question my people, but we can accept the tough things that will happen in this life to all of us, because we also believe these words of Bruh Paul 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, in the long run, eventually, our great God will work everything out for our good, so we don’t have to worry too much about what happens in our daily lives. And here’s a prayer that can certainly help us to reduce our anxieties as we go about God’s business. It’s the prayer from the In Touch Devotional for this month.
So please pray with me: ‘God, sometimes I feel stuck and hesitate to talk to you about it. Maybe I’m afraid of what You’ll say. Give me the courage to pray these words: Father, help me understand everything in my heart – what is pure and good, what’s holding me back, what I’ve never noticed, and what I’m afraid to see. Help me remember Your truth sets me free and you’ll never leave me to face anything alone. I trust You, God of all comfort. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Oh friends, is there ever a lot of truth and reassurance in that simple prayer! And by the way, we don’t need courage to go to God, just faith and trust, because we know He’s made it so we can come to Him at any time with anything. Even when we’re so low down, we believe we cannot get any lower, all we have to do is turn to him and pour out our hearts, for He will understand and receive us with LOVING arms.
Remember, the Lord created us and He knows all of our faults and foibles, so nothing we do or happens to us, is news to Him. He just desires us to come to Him with all of our problems, be they big or small, because He enjoys taking an active part in our lives… all parts of them. So whatever is holding us back today, let’s go to God and pour it our to him. He LOVES to listen to us, and will help us fix what ever is wrong.
And as the prayer says, His truth sets us free, and He’ll NEVER leave us to face anything alone, because He’s a most faithful and trustworthy God, of LOVE, comfort, peace and joy! And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Praise Him for his goodness and mercy to the undeserving children of men!’ And that just dovetails right into these amazing words of praise from Psalm 150. So let’s get right into it:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty heavens). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 150. 1-6)
And isn’t that the god-awesome truth! Everything that has breath ought to praise the Lord, their Creator and Sustainer! Shout Hallelujah to Him in His high heaven and give Him thanks and praise for the marvellousness of His great creation; heaven and earth, the seas, and all that therein is!
What an amazing God we serve my people! One who can do any and everything. Just look at how His creation earth, heaven, the seas, Mother Nature run, like clockwork, without any help. Who else can create such an amazing entity eh? No One but the great God Jehovah, he of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why we ought to worship and praise him with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, for without Him, we’re nothing!
And although we don’t deserve His awesome generosity, He still bestows it on us, for example in what we call our Thursday Blessings, given to help do His earthly work. So, let’s activate them now by declaring (chuh!!!) them. 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 (yesss!!!) we’re now duty bound to go out and use those blessings in the same generous manner to help others less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…there’s only ONE TRUE GOD…JEHOVAH…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a facade, a mistaken sense of entitlement, all should come to repentance, all things are in God's hands, anathema to the soul, belief, better than the proud in spirit, Bible, boundaries, busy lives, christianity, count it all joy, do our duty, faith, fall into divers temptations, forgiveness, god, grace, he that is slow to wrath, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I pray for patience, in god's eyes, In Touch Devotional, it takes a whole village to raise a child, Jesus, Jesus Christ, knowing this, let patience have her perfect work, listens to a child's concerns, LOVE, mercy, moving away from God, no knowledge of God, no sense of responsibility, of great understanding, patience is better than pride, share His love with my neighbour, the hasty of spirit exalteth folly, the Lord is longsuffering to us=ward, the patient in spirit, the people in my life, the trying of your faith worketh patience, there is no rush, time for patience, trust, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, tv and social media raise children, wisdom, worry
James 1:3. Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience.
And then it was Tuesday, another warm and sunshiny summer’s day! We’ve left Monday far behind in our blazing path to glory in Jesus’ wonderful name! That means looking forward to another God-filled day down here on His chaotic but still beautiful creation called Planet Earth. And to be able to do all of that requires the believers in Christ Jesus to behave in a certain manner with certain boundaries that ought not to be crossed. However, since we’re all human, and thus tend to be sinful, selfish and rebellious, we need heavenly help to do our duty and stay within our boundaries.
And this prayer from the In Touch Devotional for July gives us a good sense of some of the things we need to concentrate on. So please pray with me: ‘God, I pray for patience today – the kind that sits with an anxious friend, waits for a spouse to come around, listens to a child’s concerns. Teach me to hold space for others – and myself. There’s always time to extend your grace and forgiveness. Let my stillness be a declaration. I believe in You and trust in Your care for the people and circumstances in my life. There is no rush when all things are in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Ah friends, that li’l prayer holds so many truths of which so many of us need to be aware of and action in our overly busy, modern lives. Things like having patience, which in today’s world is anathema to the human soul. Many of us claim we can’t find time to sit with a hurting friend, and we certainly don’t want to wait for a spouse to understand our point of view. No! We expect them to come around right away. And one of our big problems is paying serious attention to our children and their concerns.
Too many parents in this modern technological and information age allow the television and social media to raise their children, and foolishly cater to their every whim and desire. Thus the children grow up to be selfish, with a mistaken sense of entitlement, and no sense whatsoever of responsibility, with little, if any knowledge of God and no true LOVE for each other. No wonder our children have turned out so badly! I remember the days when it was said that it took a whole village to raise a child, but nowadays all it takes is a Television set and the social media platforms.
All because we allow ourselves to fall into the false worldly trap of supposed busyness, then claim to have no time to look after the things and people we ought to be looking after. Oh my faithful believers, it’s all a façade of the world and the enemy. It’s only an empty storefront with nothing behind it, to keep us away from doing the things that God desires of us. If you ask the majority of us why we haven’t done so and so, the invariable answer would be, we’re too busy. But then, if you ask what we’ve been busy doing, the majority of us would be hard pressed to say exactly what we’ve been busy about. It’s just become a convenient cliche for avoiding stuff we don’t want to do.
And what do the scriptures tell us about Patience eh? Plenty! But we’ll only have time and space to consider a few, starting with this one from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.’ (Eccl. 7:8) And then in Proverbs, Cousin Sol wisely informs us: ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit (impulsive) exalteth folly.’ (Prov. 14:29)
And what does all of that mean eh? Why is patience better than pride? Listen as this commentary explains. ‘Our pride, or ego, gives us many opportunities to be angry. According to this passage in Proverbs, “patience is better than pride.” What does that mean to us in everyday life? Simply that most of what makes us angry is foolishness and if we will just be patient most of these things will work themselves out.’
Ah friends, impatience is one of our biggest setbacks in this modern world. With all the quick technology we have nowadays, we expect everything to happen now for now, or even sometimes yesterday. Have you ever noticed that when when you log on to your computer and it doesn’t come up almost immediately, how aggrieved and wronged you feel? (smile) I do. And I’m not a child of this technological age. I grew up when things took time to happen. So if that li’l matter can call up impatience in me, what’s it liable to do to those who were born to all this quick technology?
Then there’s this perfect scripture on patience, where James writes: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:2-4) And that’s the road to spiritual maturity, to having true patience, to persevere, to be longsuffering like the Lord. As 2 Peter says: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9)
Yes friends, just as the Lord restrains Himself and allows us time to come to forgiveness, we likewise ought to offer our fellow man time to change, to improve. But the whole problem simply lies in our getting away, or moving away further and further from God, rather than closer to Him as this busy and ungodly society demands. And there are many more scriptures on patience, but they would make the Bit way too long to consider them today. (smile) So, if God spares life tomorrow, then we’ll consider some more.
Now let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (yesss!!!) we are now duty bound to go out and 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!
…in God’s grace and mercy…there’s always room and time for patience…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jun 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true and genuine love, as the heavens are higher than the earth, Bible, breathed into his nostrils, but can't tell where it comes from, but canst not tell whence it cometh, Christ died for us, Christ's sufferation, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God created the heaven and the earth, God formed man of dust, God's love is vaster still, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell bound, help me find beauty in the unknown, holy spirit, in the beginning, In Touch Devotional, Jesus, Jesus Christ, like a midnight sky, live the Christian life, LOVE, love Christ with all our hearts, love whatever I glimpse of you, man became a living soul, moved upon the face of the waters, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher that your ways, not looking back, sacrifices, selfish emotion, so is every one born of the Holy Spirit, so much remains a mystery, the breath of life, the Lord's greatest gift- Jesus christ, the mystery of you God, the Spirit of God, the wind bloweth where it listeth, the wind blows where it wants, thou hearest the sound thereof, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, while we were yet sinners, wind dance, wisdom, you hear the wind but don't know where it comes from or where it goes
Genesis 2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And it’s another warm, sunshiny but windy day in our neighbourhood. And I’m so sorry for the poor trees as they are forced to dance this continuous wind dance. (smile) But seriously though, for the last couple of years we’ve been having a lot of strong winds for no apparent reason, but this year it’s been the worst ever. Several days at a time the wind just keeps on tearing across the neighbourhood: sometimes hot, sometimes cool, but always in a hurry to go where no one knows.
As Jesus so correctly said to Nicodemus, the Jewish leader when teaching him about being born again in the Holy Spirit. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:8)
And if you’re wondering what that all means, what’s the symbolism of the wind in the Bible, then this commentary gives a good explanation. ‘Wind is a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Like the wind, the Holy Spirit comes in suddenly and from seemingly nowhere – He whirls about the atmosphere and changes everything. The Spirit, like the wind, moves wherever He wants and is, at times, unpredictable. Breath is also a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit.’
It’s like how the Bible says of the Creation: ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon (hovered over) the face of the waters.’ (Gen. 1:1-2)
So the Holy Spirit was there right at the beginning of creation, ready to perform whatever job was necessary. Likewise, it was the Holy Spirit that provided life in man. As the Bible tells it: ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen. 2:7)
Yes friends, like the proverbial potter, the Lord formed man’s body from the dust of the ground then breathed the breath of life or Spirit (Heb. ruach) into him, making him a living creature. So the Holy Spirit is indeed important and like the wind moves and grooves wherever it is needed, but most importantly, today it dwells within each believer to lead, guide and comfort us as we live the Christian life here on earth. And unless we pay close attention to the still, small voice that the Spirit usually speaks in, we will miss God’s amazing plan and purpose for our lives.
That brings us to this prayer from the Let Us Pray section of this month’s In Touch Devotional, which seems to jive rather well with what we’ve been speaking about, the mystery of God and His Holy Spirit. So please pray with me: ‘God, I know some things about You, but so much remains a mystery – and that often unsettles me. The mystery of You is like a midnight sky – so immense it could swallow me whole. But I know Your LOVE is vaster still. God, help me find beauty in the unknown, and to LOVE whatever I glimpse of You. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Yes mih bredrin, our God is great and full of mystery, and we’ll never understand the half of what and who He is. But that’s why He is God! His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence is way above the ability of our finite, puny minds to comprehend. And He’s informed us of that in His word, through the prophet Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
That’s it in a nutshell my people! We can never understand all that our God is, we just have to believe and have faith, because we see and experience His goodness towards us. And if we get close enough to Him, every so often He will give us a glimpse of Himself; of His imperial majesty, of His miracle working power, of His comforting Spirit, and of His unconditional LOVE.
But all of that is just window dressing, for He’s already given us the biggest and most important part of Himself, that’s His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who came to earth and died as a propitiation, an appeasement for our sins. As one of my favourite Bible verses reminds us: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Oh my fellow saints, there could never be a bigger, heartfelt, genuine showing of LOVE than that! The Lord LOVED us so much that He broke His own heart to save us from eternal damnation and hellfire. And now, that’s where our eyes must be focused – on the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the way He desires, doing the things He wants us to do, making sacrifices for others like He did for us, but above all…LOVING Him with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.
And we’re talking about a true and genuine LOVE, not some wishy-washy, opportunistic, selfish emotion, because that’s exactly what He deserves after all the earthly ‘sufferation’ He endured for our sakes. Now, for those of us who are truly trying to live for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful, enviable and incomparable situation in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere 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 if we truly endure to the very end with Christ, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So see you there! Much LOVE!
…but for the Lord’s greatest gift…His son Jesus Christ…we’d all be hell bound…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
22 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, all men shall know ye are my disciples, Bible, Christ died for us, christianity, darkenss, despair, dress in several layers of clothing, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, for all creation, God commendeth his love for us, God is love - Love is God, God's love is boundless, halfway home, hands on the plough, herein is love, hope, if God so loved us, if ye have love one to another, in dying born to eternal life, in pardoning we are pardoned, In Touch Devotional, it is in giving we receive, Jesus, Jesus Christ, let me sow love, let yoru love flow through me, light, LOVE, love is all the world needs, LOVE is of God, love one another as I have loved you, make me a vessel, make me an instruemt of thy peace, not looking back, prayer, remove the boundaries beween myself and others, seek to console, sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, summer time, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Prayer of St. Francis, to a glorious future with Jesus, to love, to understand, walking dogs rather than children, we ought also to love one another, Wednesday Wail, where there is hatred, where there is sadness - joy, while we were yet sinners, whre there i injury -pardon, wisdom, without beginning
I John 4:11. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.
Summer time, summer time, glorious summer time! That wonderful time of year when we don’t have to dress up in several layers of clothing just go and put out the garbage! And even better, I can now sit on my porch in shorts and T-shirt and watch the many people going for walks, catching up on the exercise they missed during the winter. The only sad part of that is that more of those people are walking dogs rather than children. But if dogs are the new children, then who am I to say otherwise.(smile) But yuh better believe in this day and age, dogs are much more expensive to raise and keep than children.
Anyway, it’s too beautiful a day to harbour any ill feelings, so let’s get down to brass tacks with this prayer from the ‘Let Us Pray’ Section of this month’s In Touch Devotional. Please pray with me. ‘Father, how can your LOVE be boundless, without beginning, and for all creation? It’s beyond my understanding, but the fact remains – You are LOVE. LOVE is You. Make me a vessel, God. Remove the boundaries I’ve put between myself and others, and let Your LOVE flow through me – to my family, friends, and neighbours, to people on the margins and those in power, to strangers and enemies. In Jesus’ name, amen.’
Ah friends, what an interesting prayer! Our minds are too small to comprehend the height, depth, length and width of God’s LOVE for us. But we’re still ever so sure that He LOVES us, His greatest creation, with an unfailing and everlasting LOVE, despite our overwhelming disobedience and sinfulness. That’s why, as Bruh Paul writes to the Romans: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
It could not be put any clearer than that my people. Although John in his epistle tries to do so, where he writes: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another; for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God. He that LOVETH not knoweth not God; for God is LOVE. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that He LOVED us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:7-11)
And that’s the plain and simple truth my brethren! If God LOVED us despite our sinfulness and ungodliness, we ought to also LOVE one another. And Jesus also made that very clear to the disciples and to us who decide to follow Him later on: ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
What part of that don’t we understand eh my fellow believers? Why then are the numerous denominations which make up Christ’s church so intensely resentful and even hateful to each other eh? No wonder the heathen don’t consider us true disciples of Jesus! If we can’t LOVE those who supposedly preach the same gospel and live in the same kingdom, under the same Sovereign Ruler, how can we LOVE others who live outside of that spiritual realm eh? No way! That means that despite all our talk about Jesus and all the hoopla we create, we’re not really doing very much to forward His kingdom here on earth because of all the ill will between us, His followers.
And that’s why I like it when the prayer above asks: ‘Make me a vessel, God. remove the boundaries I’ve put between myself and others, and let Your LOVE flow through me – to my family, friends, and neighbours, to people on the margins and those in power, to strangers and enemies…’
Yes friends, that’s exactly what we need in today’s ungodly and selfish world. And it reminds me of what we call the Prayer of St. Francis, or the Peace Prayer, which says: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow LOVE; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be LOVED as to LOVE. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.’
Now my fellow saints, that is what we call a comprehensive prayer; one that includes a little of everything. And it’s what we believers need to be doing consciously and constructively; LOVING, comforting and forgiving others like we are LOVED, comforted and forgiven by our heavenly Father. Anything less than that is disobedience and rebellion, and thus sin. So let’s wake up and smell the stench in our world nuh and set ourselves as followers of Christ to do a much better job than we’ve hitherto done!
Now, for those of us who are serious and sincere about living for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere 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 the promise is that if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So let’s plan to meet there nuh…right at the very end! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is all the world needs to set it right…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
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