12 Dec 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Advent season, be it unto me according to thy word, behold the handmaid of the Lord, bites the dust, burning incense in the temple, celebrate the incarnate birth of Christ, faith, fear fell upon him, fear not Zacharias, God knew his heart, he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, hurry, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make a ready people prepared for the Lord, many shall rejoice at his birth, set free form the bondage of sin, share His love with my neighbours, take away my reproach, the beloved of God, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, the propitiation for our sins, thou believest not my words, thou shalt be dumb, thou shalt call his name John, thy prayer is heard, thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, turn the children of Israel to the Lord, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, use our free will, wisdom, worry, Zacharias was troubled
Luke 1:12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
And another Monday bites the dust, as we move along with joyful expectation in this Advent season, eagerly working our way to that bright and glorious time we call Christmas, when we celebrate the awesome incarnate birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And all of God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of Glory Hallelujah! All hail to Him who was born in a manger in Bethlehem to be the propitiation for our sins!
Ah friends, that just shows the great LOVE our wonderful God has for us, sending His sinless Son, born of a woman to intercede on our behalf, to bear all our sins, so that we could have the option of coming back to Him from our sinful ways. Please note, it’s only an option, we still have to use our free will to choose it, and if we don’t, we’ll just continue along our sinful path down to the fires of hell and damnation with Satan and his other evil cronies.
So please, we urge you to accept that once in a lifetime option of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour RIGHT NOW, so that you would be set free from the bondage of sin that Satan has us in, and spend eternity with Jesus in heavenly places. Believe me, that’s the wisest decision you’ll ever make in this earthly life! End of sermon! (smile)
And today, we want to look at the very different reactions of two people whom the Lord spoke to back in olden times. We’ve already seen the positive reaction of Mary to the angel Gabriel’s news that she would bare the Son of God. Without a whole lot of questions and doubt, she simply responded: ‘Behold the hand maid (handmaiden) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38)
Now, before the angel went to Mary, he had gone to an elderly priest named Zacharias. The Bible tells us that as he was doing his duty, burning incense in the temple, with a whole lot of people praying outside: ‘And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.’ (Luke 1:11-12)
Right there friends, we have the first big difference between Zacharias and Mary’s angelic visit. Mary was troubled, but the Bible didn’t say that fear came upon her, like it does with Zacharias, and one would expect the elderly priest to be much more in tune with the godly aspects of life. ‘But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ (Luke 1:13-17)
Now that was also a big godly promise, but not as big as Mary’s where she would become pregnant without knowing a man. So what was Zacharias response to all that eh? The Good Library tells us: ‘And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man and my wife well stricken (advanced) in age.’ (Luke 1:18)
There I think we have Zacharias’ mistake; doubting the possibility of him and old wife having a child through the auspices of the Lord. As a priest in the Lord’s employ, Zacharias ought to have known the story of Abraham and Sarah having Isaac at the respective ages of one hundred and ninety, so there shouldn’t have been any doubt of it being possible for him and his wife Elisabeth, neither of whom were as old as Abraham and Sarah.
Thus this unfortunate happening. ‘And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, and am sent unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings (this good news). And, behold, thou shalt be dumb (mute), and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season (own time).’ (Luke 1:19-20)
Yes mih bredrin, there is a price we all pay for doubt and disbelief, especially if we are fairly mature believers. I guess we could cut Zacharias some slack because of the surprise factor and his advanced age, but he was supposed to be an experienced man of God, while Mary was just a young child. But there we have the two different reactions to supposedly good news. So what happens after that eh?
The Bible continues: ‘And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried (delayed) so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.’ (Luke 1:21-22) Can you imagine the confusion amongst the people when their hitherto very vocal priest suddenly couldn’t speak to them?
But what of Zacharias? God’s Word informs us thus: ‘And it came to pass that, as soon as the days of his ministration (service) were accomplished (completed), he departed to his own house.’ (Luke 1:23) Apparently on the day his duties ceased, that’s the offering of incense in the temple, he was free to return home. And according to the scholars the offering of incense in the temple would be a sacred moment in Zacharias’ life, for no priest could offer incense more than once in his lifetime, and many never even got the chance at all, since there was an estimated 18,000 priests at that point in Jewish history. So, most likely, this was a God-inspired occasion, so that the good news could be shared with Zacharias.
The scholars further tell us that ‘Zacharias’ speechlessness serves to chasten him for his apparent skepticism. One may think it a harsh measure, but God who dispensed this judgement knew his heart. And the promise remained secure. Zacharias was merely prevented from easily spreading the news around.’ But however we look at the decision, it was God’s doing and has to be accepted as such.
The Bible then says: ‘And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’ (Luke 1:24-25) And as the scholars remind us: ‘Jewish women regarded childlessness as a severe reproach. Elisabeth may have hid herself out of a sense of consternation before God and man. She came to be thankful, but the initial shock of the unexpected (and in human terms quite impossible) must have been considerable.’
No doubt it was my brethren. But it all shows us how our great and wonderful God moves in ways we don’t understand, and therefore we need to submit to His plans without doubt and fear. And No, as we keep saying, that’s not always easy to do, even when we consider ourselves to be very mature believers. But we just have to keep on trying and learning and asking for God’s help to understand what He needs of us; it’s all a lifelong process.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel! As one 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, it behooves us to go out and share that LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…belief doesn’t stop doubt and fear from coming…but we have to be strong enough to refute them…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but oh so good! (smile) Much LOVE!
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
10 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great King above all Gods, being thankful keeps us spiritually healthy, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, every good and perfect gift, giving thanks gets easier the more you do it, giving thanks is a daily occurrence, giving thanks to God the Father, good manners, his mercy endureth for ever, in every thing give thanks, in god's eyes, it's good manners to say thanks, Jesus Christ, keep our priorities straight, let us make a joyful noise, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, lustful desires, mercy, O come let us sing unto the lord, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, our one word ought to be thanks, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, share His love with my neighbours, Thank You Lord, thanksgiving magnifies God, thanksgiving reorients us, thanksgiving weekend, the beloved of God, the Lord is a great God, the rock of our salvation, the source of every good thing, the sun's shining, the thankfulness muscles respond to exercise, they sang together by course, this is the will of God in Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, whatsoever ye do in word or deed, with the help of our great God, worry
Psalm 107:1. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
And though this Tuesday morning, post the Thanksgiving weekend, has opened somewhat cool and windy, there is at least one redeeming feature; the sun’s shining! And that’s a lot to be thankful for, as the days grow cold and cloudy, and eventually snowy. Look at it nuh, just last week we were enjoying exceptional summer-like weather, now we’ve been suddenly thrown into the throes of fall (smile) that has winter as its final dance partner. And try as you want, regardless of how long you spend in this land, unless you’re an outdoor sports enthusiast, you never seem to get accustomed to that season of darkness and dreary cold weather.
But, like all the other unpleasant and tough aspects of life, with the help of our great God, we handle it superbly whenever it raises its ugly head! Give much thanks to our gracious and merciful God for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us! And all God’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ And just in case we’ve forgotten or gotten too busy to remember, now that the Thanksgiving weekend is over, it doesn’t mean we should stop giving thanks. No! The giving of thanks to our most wonderful God Jehovah, must be a daily occurrence, not just once a year, or when you’re pleading with him for something to satisfy your lustful desires.
And that’s one of the major reasons why our lives are so sad and miserable; we boldly ask for a whole lot from our heavenly Father, but don’t give sufficient thanks for what we already have. Somehow or the other, it just slips our minds that, as our parents taught us, it’s good manners to say thanks for whatever you’re given. Or, we simply don’t think or believe that such a great God as ours, needs or desires thanks from His puny human creation. But that’s a thoroughly incorrect supposition my fellow believers, for the Good Library, God’s inerrant and infallible word, says otherwise, and says it very often too.
But before we get into some of those many scriptures, let’s check out this commentary that tells us why it’s so important for us to give thanks to our God. It says: ‘What is the power of giving thanks to God? Thanksgiving reorients us to the center of all things. So, thanksgiving magnifies God: it makes him great in the sense of declaring his greatness. Here is the most foundational truth about biblical thanksgiving: it gives him the glory he deserves. It exalts him as the source of every good thing we enjoy.’
And that’s the indisputable truth friends! Giving thanks to Almighty God honours and exalts Him, for that was one of the reasons why He created us in the first place; to commune with Him and give Him honour and glory! Now here’s another commentary that adds further reason for being thankful. It reads: ‘But being thankful also has significant spiritual benefits. For starters, it keeps us spiritually healthy. When we live gratefully, we keep our priorities straight—focusing on God as the one who gives us “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17)—and we don’t accidentally put ourselves in God’s place.’
Yes friends, giving sincere and constant thanks keep us spiritually healthy and on the straight and narrow path. Now let’s hear some of those scriptures on the importance of being thankful. First up is this mighty one from Psalm 107: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And in all truth, there’s no better reason than that. The Lord’s good and merciful, and therefore our thanks is necessary. It’s as simple as that. There’s no better reason for giving thanks than to someone who’s good and merciful to you.
I just wish there was much more mercy and goodness amongst us believers, and the world in general, and therefore much more thanks, for then that would make it something we’d do naturally with our good and merciful God. But unfortunately, goodness and mercy don’t exist in our world as much as they ought to, so it doesn’t naturally rub off on our dealing with the Lord. Then there’s this Scripture from the Book of Ezra, when the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon and began rebuilding the temple.
‘And they sang together by course (responsively) in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.’ (Ezra 3:11) And yes, our God does like great shouts of praise from His people, but He’s also contented with a simple ‘Thank You Lord,’ because it shows that we are thinking of Him and gratefully acknowledging the fact that He is working in our lives. And that’s all He truly desires; a grateful acknowledgement of His presence.
Then there’s the song of thankfulness from Psalm 95. In fact, the Psalms is where the most thankfulness can be found in the Lord’s word. And just for our information here’s how many times the Bible mentions gratitude. ‘The Bible mentions the word “gratitude” 157 times. It does not appear as frequently as “fear not” (which is said 365 times), but it appears more than “thanks” or “thanksgiving” (mentioned 72 times).’ That ought to show us how important gratitude is to our God. (smile)
But back to the thankfulness of Psalm 95, which opens thus: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3) And there’s definitely no denying those sentiments my fellow believers. Our God is GREAT! That says it all! (smile)
And don’t think that there aren’t thankful scriptures in the New Testament too, because they are, and some that tend to drive us crazy, especially this one from Bruh Paul’s first missive to the Thessalonians. ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:18) In ‘every thing’ you ask in disbelief? Yes friends…in every thing .That means whether the situation is good, bad or indifferent, we ought to give thanks. As this commentary tells it: ‘For this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.’
Then in his letter to the Colossian, Bruh Paul tells us: ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col. 3:17) That’s another tough scripture, but one which we should all adhere to if we want to please our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as true followers. For remember, when He was here on earth, giving thanks was also one of His strongpoints. He never did anything without giving the Father thanks.
And we don’t have time nor space to go into it all, but you can read these instances for yourself. Jesus thanked the Father ‘for providing food (Luke 24:30), for listening to him (John 11:41), and for the opportunity to minister to others (Matthew 14:19, 15:36). Jesus began and ended his prayers with words of thanks and praise to his father and in the Lord’s Prayer he taught his followers to do the same (Matthew 6:9-13).’ And as always, if our Leader can do it, then we also ought to be doing it.
And this a most appropriate comment with which to close our li’l talk on the giving of thanks. ‘One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!’ Yes, my brethren! Just try it and you’ll see it’s oh so true. (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. In 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 all that, it now 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!
…if there’s only one word to fall from our lips…it ought to be THANKS!…
P.S. Yes, it’s long, but oh so good, and so reenergizing! (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
12 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good time to correct our faults, an Hebrew servant, avoid disastrous flood situations, be truly faithful to God, bounden duty, coming from a privileged situation, diligence, disaster mode, excellence, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace, God will work all things out for our good, hurry, I do remember my faults, improve human life, in god's eyes, It is not me, lock stock and barrel, our job, share His love, share His love with my neighbours, stayed the course, steady drizzle of rain, the beloved of God, the faithfulness of God, there was none that could declare it to me, titillating, titivating, to each man according to his dream, to grow up, to make things better, to understand the realities of life, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Genesis 41:16. It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.
Well, at long last the rain which has been promised by the weather forecasters and the intense cloudiness of the last few days, eventually arrived this Tuesday morning! And thankfully, not in humongous showers like some places have been recently receiving, but in a steady drizzle, which hopefully gives the land the opportunity to soak it up and avoid the disastrous flood situations that’s been happening around the world recently. Our world is certainly in disaster mode, but that’s why we’re here, why we’ve been chosen for just such a time like this, because we have the wherewithal from Almighty God to make things better.
Our job is always to make things better, improve human life. The question is whether we are doing that, and if so, whether it’s to our fullest ability? Remember Christ expects diligence and excellence from His followers. So, hopefully, we’re all doing as best as we can, for come the judgement day, the Lord won’t ask us about anybody else nuh. No, He’ll only ask about what WE did with the talents that He gave us. That means we’ve got to stop looking at, and comparing ourselves with others, and get on with our personal tasks.
And now it’s time to return to that amazing saga of Bruh Joseph. I wonder, with all the unfair and unjust things that have happened to him so far, how many of us would have lived up to his faithfulness? Not many I believe. Most of us would have been downright annoyed with God, angrily claiming that we’re doing right, and only unfair and unjust things are happening to us. Some of us might have already turned away from Him.
But thankfully Bruh Joseph stayed the course, as we sincere believers are expected to do. We need to believe God’s promise that eventually He will work all things out for our good. And what a catastrophe it would have been if Bruh Joseph had given up on God’s promises. But he held it all together, despite the trials he faced. And as the Lord would have it, we saw yesterday how Pharaoh dreamed two dreams he did not understand and none of his wise men or magicians could interpret them either.
And the Word says: ‘Then spake the chief butler unto Pharoah, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth (angry) with his servants, and put me in ward (in custody) in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.’ (Gen. 41:9-13)
Ah friends, yuh see how the Lord LOVES to play out His dramatics; slow and long. (smile) But there’s always a good reason behind His situations. In this particular case, Bruh Joseph needed to grow up, to understand the realities of life, after coming from a privileged situation. He also needed to learn how to handle and lead people for the destination and destiny the Lord had in store for him.
And maybe that’s the same thing he’s doing in many of our lives right now; preparing us for our eventual destination and destiny, and all the tough stuff we’re currently going through are merely learning and growing pains. But despite whatever is happening with us right now, we need to stand strong and steadfast and believe the faithful promises of our wonderful God! That’s the only way we’ll ever be successful in this evil and ungodly world.
Oh, and there’s a most important scripture early on in those verses above. When the chief butler says to Pharaoh: ‘I do remember my faults this day.’ Perchance, or perhaps, some of us might also remember our faults this day. Things we’ve promised to do or not to do and never kept those promises. Like the chief butler, now is as good a time as any to correct those faults. (smile) Yes friends, we’re all guilty of something, and the sooner we repent and fix them, the better off we’ll be.
But getting back to Bruh Joseph’s story. The Bible tells us: ‘Then Pharoah sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment (clothes), and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharoah said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharoah saying, It is not me: God shall give Pharoah an answer of peace.’ (Gen. 41:14-16)
Please note again, that Bruh Joseph is not assigning any of his talent to himself, but always to God. Oh, how I wish that more of us believers could do that, instead of thinking and/or claiming that our successes come solely from our own energy. (smile) And please note too that Bruh Joseph did not merely say that God will give Pharaoh an answer, but an answer of peace, which must have quieted some of Pharoah’s sorrow and lifted his spirits. Then Pharaoh told Bruh Joseph his dream, ending with the sorrowful words: ‘but there was none that could declare (yes!!!) it to me.’ (Gen. 41:24)
And in keeping with good drama procedures, we’ll stop there for today, leaving you hanging, in suspense, thinking about what comes next, titivating and titillating your imaginations. (smile) But seriously though my brethren, this story of Bruh Joseph is indeed one of God’s best drama pieces, and it definitely set the stage for most of what came after. 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 now it’s our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…to truly experience the faithfulness of God…we truly need to be faithful to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new commandment I give unto you, abhor that which is evil, African enslavement, as I have loved you, be not overcome of evil, bless and curse not, by this shall men know that ye are my disciples, Christian living in a nutshell, cling to that which is good, fight the good fight, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in God's eyes, international hatred, Jewish Holocaust, let love be without dissimulation, little godliness, living for Jesus is a lifelong activity, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make heads or tails of our predicament, makes countless thousands mourn, Man was made to Mourn, man's inhumanity to man, overcome evil with good, recompense to no man evil for evil, share the amazing Love of Christ, so few have so much, so many have so little, that ye love one another, the imbalance of God's provision, trials and tribulations, Tuesday Mantra, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, wars and rumours of wars, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, worry
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Prologue: I want to apologize right up front for the lateness of the Bit. I got up late, and not feeling up to scratch either. It took me a while to catch myself. And yes, the Bit’s long, but I think it’s good. (smile) So please read, inwardly digest and action it. Much LOVE!
So Monday has fled into the night, and Tuesday has come to take its place… a warm and somewhat sunny but windy day. But life still rolls along like it did on Monday, still full of wars and rumours of wars, untold disasters both natural and man-made, along with many evil doings and comparatively little godliness. Man continues to be unkind to his fellow man, heralding the saying ‘man’s inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn,’ first made popular by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in his poem, the dirge, ‘Man was made to Mourn’ published in 1784.
The relevant stanza says: “Many and sharp the num’rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves Regret, remorse, and shame! And man, whose heav’n-erected face The smiles of LOVE adorn, Man‘s inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn!”
And, unfortunately, that statement still stands as a testimony to our cruelty and callousness to each other down through the years. Two of the main examples of that atrocious and barbaric behaviour in the last couple of centuries are the Jewish Holocaust in Germany and other parts of Europe and the brutal and ruthless enslavement of African people in the supposed New World of the Americas. And although those two atrocities have now ended in physical form, they are still being enforced through mental and emotional means.
The level of international hatred, rebelliousness and evil doing, poverty, sickness and economic malaise are so ramped up, that the saying should now be replaced by ‘man’s inhumanity to man makes countless millions mourn.’ And if we continue like we’re going, it will soon need to be changed to countless billions, because instead of a growing LOVE and compassion for each other, we seem to be drifting even further apart, with hate, evil doings and resentment growing stronger every day.
And all of that in a world filled with plenty, more than enough to satisfy us all, but because so few have so much, and intend to retain it by any means necessary, while so many have so little, and are intentionally kept from acquiring more, the imbalance of God’s provision and wealth continues to get worse each and every day. I pray that Almighty God will help us before it’s too late, because He is the ONLY ONE who can make heads or tails of our current predicament.
Whatever happened to Jesus’ declaration (steups!!!) ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.’ (John 13:34) That’s a very good question, because in these very turbulent and unsettled times, even supposed believers in Christ Jesus are showing immense hatred and resentment for each other, often because of the branch of Christianity or religion they follow. So, if the supposed root of LOVE, Christianity itself is withering, instead of growing and manifesting itself strong in the land, then what hope is there for us eh?
And it’s not like Jesus said it once that we should LOVE each other, but several times, and even more importantly, that the act of LOVING each other would be the distinctive modus operandi that showed who we truly are. Listen to Him elucidate this. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) LOVE is supposed to be the guiding principle of our world, but sadly, right now hate and evil have a strong hold on our reins.
And unless we supposed believers are willing to get up and fight the good fight, like we ought to, the hands of evil will get even stronger and more despicable, for there’s no level at which evil will not stoop to get its own way. We must realize that Jesus is placing, in fact, has placed all His bets on us to overcome the evil of Satan with His LOVE. Now, we can’t go letting him down after all the ‘sufferation’ He endured on our behalf. And LOVE is more powerful than evil, we just have to put it into action.
That’s the problem; we don’t radiate LOVE to each other, so how then can it spread to unbelievers eh? Bruh Paul said it quite practically in his letter to the church at Rome. ‘Let LOVE be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another….Bless them which persecute you: bless and curse not…
Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:9-10; 14; 17-21)
Ah mih people, that’s practical Christian living in a nutshell! And sadly, too many of us believers are not living thus. And no, it’s not easy to turn your head and not repay evil for evil, especially in these evil and advantageous times. But it’s how Jesus wants us to live, and it’s the only way that unbelievers will ever want to come to Christ. We cannot live the old eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth vengeful lifestyle. God says that He will repay the wrongdoing done to us. And if we believe Him, then we have to stop trying to forward vengeance for ourselves, as seems to be the current standard of our world.
Remember Jesus never said following Him was easy, in fact He said that it would be tough, we’d see trials and tribulations, and we must be prepared to take up our cross daily and follow Him, as well as sacrifice on His behalf whenever necessary. (Luke 9:23-24) If we can’t do that, then we cannot be His disciple. But the wonderful thing about it all is that if we sincerely try, Jesus will help us to overcome any of our human frailties and weaknesses. Remember Bruh Paul says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil 4:13)
And that’s one of the basic differences between a sincere believer and an unbeliever. We can do whatever Jesus wants or expects us to do, because He will give us the strength, the anointing, the grace, or whatever it takes to do His will. And that’s what too many of us supposed believers are not taking advantage of, so that we can live for Christ. We all want the easy, the safe way of life, without any difficulties, but life itself means difficulties; trials and tribulations, and it’s ONLY with the help of Jesus can we successfully overcome them.
And that’s why we have His Holy Spirit dwelling in us; to lead and guide and strengthen us. But unfortunately, many of us ignore the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. How then do we expect to live the abundant Christian life eh? It’s simple, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we can’t. And I do hope that these few words of mine (smile) will help wake us up to the reality of the situation and get us going, so that we can fight the good fight for Christ! Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having made that declaration (awright!!!) we now have to go out into the evil world and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus, so that others will come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus is a lifelong activity…that takes courage and belief…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
16 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bill crazy society, a money killer, according to his riches in glory, Arrow -Bills bills every day, be careful for nothing, bills like a cancer, encouraged to buy on credit, fulfill our destiny, God is able to make all grace abound to you, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine ye are the branches, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, keep and guard our hearts through Christ Jesus, let your requests be made known unto God, living for Jesus, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, my God shall supply all your needs, our sufficiency is of God, overwhelming materialism, rain to parch the earth's thirst, share His love with my neighbours, the debt trap, the peace of God which passeth all understading, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we live to pay our bills, without me ye can do nothing, worry
Philippians 4:13. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
Well, like it’s apparently going to be another warm, dry and sunshiny day. I’ve lost count of how many of them we’ve had in a row now, but it sure does feel as though we need a li’l rain to parch the earth’s thirst. And I can tell that’s the case because the duchess has started to water her lawn.(smile) So Lord, please send a li’l rain to ease up on the summer water bill.
Brother, what a life we live! During the summer it’s the water bill that drives us crazy, constantly watering the little patch of grass we so foppishly call a lawn, while at Christmas, it’s the electricity bill, with all the lights we have going on. And during the rest of the year, there’s always some bill that comes unexpectedly, or comes in so high that we get rather anxious over paying it. But that’s the way the enemy has our society programmed; to keep us in constant debt and fear. It’s all about bills: we live to pay our bills.
I think the deceased Soca maestro, Arrow, put it best, when he sang: ‘So much bills to pay, man can’t see their way. As yuh done pay one, ah next bill come. Bills, bills, every day. Bills, bills, man can’t pay. Water bill to pay, light bill to pay, grocery bill to pay, pickney bill to pay. Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, House rent to pay, doctor bill to pay, gas bill to pay, phone bill to pay. Salary man get, can’t pay their debts, pay and pay for years, still yuh owe arrears.
Bills, bills, every day. Child support to pay, income tax to pay, transport to pay, alimony to pay…Wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo ah going crazy, so much bills to pay. Mortgage to pay, insurance to pay, credit cards to pay, laundry bills to pay. Bills like a cancer, a money killer. No use complain, pay the bill again. Bills, bills every day, bills, bills man can’t pay. Wo yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy, wo-yo-yo, wo-yo-yo, ah going crazy.’
Yes my brethren, the endless bill paying is certainly driving a major portion of our society crazy, because they fret and worry about paying the constant stream of bills which have deadlines to pay them, and serious consequences if they are not paid. And please note that Arrow sang that song at least twenty years ago, and if it was that bad then, can you imagine how much worse it is today with the overwhelming materialism prevalent in our current society, where it’s only normal, in fact, we’re encouraged to buy things on credit, things that we don’t need and certainly cannot afford.
Then you’re held in the debt trap forever, and the creditors have you in a chokehold that’s almost impossible to break free from. But please notice I said, almost impossible, because if you have Jesus living in you and running your life, then any and everything is possible, so you will either not fall into that debt trap, or if you have already fallen, He will be able to help you extricate yourself from it. But two basic things are necessary for that to happen, you must allow Jesus to control things, and you must stop getting yourself into unnecessary debt.
Obviously, it won’t be easy, but with patience and perseverance under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to get out of the debt trap. And the first practical move is to get yourself under control. Stop the fretting and worrying, for that will only cause more harm than good and it certainly won’t get you out of your predicament. So, like Bruh Paul advised in his letter to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:6)
Yes friends, that’s always the first move in any situation; stop worrying and take it all to God in prayer. Unfortunately though, we sing and talk about it a lot, but don’t truly put it into practice. Like we forget about it when the problems arise. But we need to take those problems to our heavenly Father, for it’s the only way to acquire ‘the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, and which shall keep and guard our hearts through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
And we definitely need the peace of God flowing through us, if we’re to wisely consider how to successfully extricate ourselves from untenable situations. You cannot do that if you’re all uptight, afraid and worried. And along the way, you need to keep your spirit boosted with a couple of very important and necessary scriptures, which we all know and sometimes use, but not as sincerely as we ought to. The first one is ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13). And the other is like unto it. (smile) ‘But my God shall supply ALL my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Oh my people, those two scriptures sustained Bruh Paul through some of his roughest times, and if they could sustain him, then they can definitely sustain us too. But we have to believe them truly and sincerely and then live as though they are true, and they will eventually become true. In God’s kingdom we don’t believe when we see, but we believe before we see. That’s because of the faith, trust and hope we have in the power of our wonderful, gracious, merciful and ever-LOVING God!
And now, here are a few supplementary scriptures to back up those primary ones. As per the first one, remember these true and telling words of Jesus. ‘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 5:15) That’s something we ought always to remember: without Jesus we’re mostly useless. Then there’s this verse from Bruh Paul in his second letter to then church at Corinth. ‘And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency (adequacy, abundance) in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor. 9:8)
In other words, God will always give you all you need to do His work. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of our selves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Oh my people, please listen to this commentary on that verse. ‘The adequacy of the provisions of the Lord God Almighty can never be exhausted or run dry. He is the God who is more than enough to adequately handle all the needs of all His creatures without running short of supply.’ Yes, for certain sure, He is the God of not just enough, but of more than enough. And until we truly believe that, we will always be in need.
And we’ll end with this simple, well-known, but ever so amazing and true scripture. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) It’s never been said better than that my fellow saints! Now, for those of us who try to live by it, 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!’
Now, let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…only by living for Jesus…can we fulfill our destiny…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a betrayal of trust, an infantile mistake, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive others, be willing to put in the effort, been harshly bullied, emotinally and conatively hobbled, extending mercy, for our benefit, forgiveness, forgiveness doesn't come easy, forgiveness is a cardinal rule of Christianity, God commendeth his own love toward us, gone off my rocker, hold on to hurt, humble apologies, hurry, if ye forgive men their trespasses, let go of anger and resentment, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, mortal and thus fallible, one of the most important aspects of Christianity, relationships suffer, share His love with my neighbours, strong medicine for healing deep wounds, the beloved of God, the devil does as the devil does, the right tools, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, victims of crime, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, worry, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And then it was a sunshiny spring Tuesday morning. Yes friends, today is indeed sunshiny. Yesterday wasn’t, although that’s what I wrote. Ah Lord eh! The devil does as the devil does yes! Yesterday was a rainy day, but somehow or the other I wrote that it was sunshiny. And it wasn’t that I didn’t see and experience the rain first hand and didn’t read the Bit after I had written it. The problem was that I had begun writing the Bit before the rain started, so since it was nice and dry then, and the day before had ended up sunny, I assumed that yesterday was also going to be sunny, thinking that I’d rewrite the opening if it turned out differently.
And it did turn out differently. But I didn’t rewrite the opening. Steups! And was I ever flabbergasted when I discovered the error after sending out the Bit. That’s why I don’t like prewriting anything. I’m sure my Scrip-Bit family living in my area must have wondered if I’d gone off my rocker, because the sun was nowhere to be seen. (smile) Now, I might be headed in that direction, but I promise you, I’ve not reached that far as yet. So, my most humble apologies for such an infantile mistake. And thank you ever so much for forgiving me. It only means that the ole fella is mortal and thus fallible. (smile)
And I guess that since we’re on the topic of forgiveness, we might as well stay there, because forgiveness is one of the most important aspects of our Christian faith. And what is forgiveness? It can mean different things to different people, but it’s basically to let go of anger and resentment on being hurt or offended. But here is a good explanation from an article on the topic by Robert Enright, from the Greater Good Magazine website.
He writes: ‘Forgiveness can be incredibly difficult. When another person hurts us, it can upend our lives. Sometimes the hurt is very deep, such as when a spouse or a parent betrays our trust, or when we are victims of crime, or when we’ve been harshly bullied. Anyone who has suffered a grievous hurt knows that when our inner world is badly disrupted, it’s difficult to concentrate on anything other than our turmoil or pain. When we hold on to hurt, we are emotionally and cognitively hobbled, and our relationships suffer.
Forgiveness is strong medicine for this. When life hits us hard, there is nothing as effective as forgiveness for healing deep wounds. I would not have spent the last 30 years of my life studying forgiveness if I were not convinced of this. Many people have misconceptions about what forgiveness really means—and they may eschew it. Others may want to forgive, but wonder whether or not they truly can. Forgiveness does not necessarily come easily; but it is possible for many of us to achieve, if we have the right tools and are willing to put in the effort.’
And right there is the crux of the problem: having the tools and being willing to put in the effort. And if we call ourselves Christian, believers in Christ, then we have the tools and we better had have the effort, or else our witness will be immaterial and be burned up in the time of judgement like it was based on straw, hay or stubble. And why is that you ask? Because forgiveness is one of the very tenets on which our Christian faith is based. Christ came to earth specifically to die to pay for our sins, so that we could be forgiven by our heavenly Father, and thus be reconciled to Him, once again become sheep in His fold.
And Jesus said quite clearly in His teaching on prayer, when He gave the disciples and us a sample of what our prayer ought to be like, what we call ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ In the midst of it He stated: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt. 6:12) Now why would Jesus put something like that in there eh? Because as we just said, it’s of the utmost importance in our faith. And after the prayer, He showed us why. ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6: 14-15)
Yes, my fellow believers, it‘s as simple as that. If we don’t forgive those who hurt us, our heavenly Father won’t forgive us. He’s made it a cardinal rule of His kingdom. In other words, He’s saying, if I can LOVE you so much, want to forgive your abominable sins so much, that I can break my heart to send my only Son to die in your place, then the least you can do is to also forgive those who hurt you. And yes, it’s all based on the mighty, unconditional LOVE of the Father, for us, His sinful children. Bruh Paul puts it best when he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Yes, He didn’t wait for us to come to him, He came to us. That demonstrates great LOVE! And LOVE is the main tool we have to use in forgiveness. That’s LOVING God, ourselves and our neighbours enough to forgive. And these two paragraphs from that article by Robert Enright quoted above, show us how important the act of forgiveness is, especially to us.
He says: ‘Forgiveness is about goodness, about extending mercy to those who’ve harmed us, even if they don’t “deserve” it. It is not about finding excuses for the offending person’s behavior or pretending it didn’t happen. Nor is there a quick formula you can follow. Forgiveness is a process with many steps that often proceeds in a non-linear fashion. But it’s well worth the effort. Working on forgiveness can help us increase our self-esteem and give us a sense of inner strength and safety. It can reverse the lies that we often tell ourselves when someone has hurt us deeply—lies like, I am defeated or I’m not worthy. Forgiveness can heal us and allow us to move on in life with meaning and purpose. Forgiveness matters, and we will be its primary beneficiary.’
Yes friends, when we forgive, we are the main beneficiary; our souls start to heal, we become more mature, and the Lord forgives us. We can’t ask for a better result than that. So please, let’s get on with the forgiving of others and ourselves nuh, cause it’s all for our benefit, and it pleases our heavenly Father! And for those of us who are sincerely working on it, lets’ go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now let’s go out and do just that nuh: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…as always…whatever God tells us to do…it’s for our benefit…He’s said to forgive…so let’s forgive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all signs point to Jesus' imminent return, apostasy, as the days of Noah were, be ready, but my Father only, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, for an helmet, God hath not appointed us to wrath, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in God's eyes, Jesus' return is unpredictable, lawlessness, let us not sleep as do others, let us watch and be sober (self-controlled), life threatening conditions, like a woman in travail, live as children of light, lock stock and barrel, magnificent resurrection, now it is high time to awake out of sleep, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, potential nuclear annihilation, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, sacrificial death, share His love with my neighbours, so cometh as a thief in the night, so shall the coming of the Son of man be, sudden destruction cometh upon them, the children of light, the children of the day, the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, the hope of salvation, the one world church, the Rapture of Christ's church, the snow mash we up, the state of always being ready, to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, white as snow, worry, yourselves know perfectly
1 Thessalonians 5:2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Well friends, the snow mash we up yesterday afternoon, and caused havoc throughout the town! Can you imagine what the evening commute home was like? Brother! It’s a good thing I cancelled an afternoon doctor’s appointment in the big city of T.O, otherwise I would have been caught in the havoc, and at my time of life, I don’t need that nonsense. (smile)
The weather forecasters had predicted a big one, and this one was fair-sized and upon us quite quickly. I remember looking out my window mid-afternoon, and there was no sign of the impending storm, but an hour later, the place was white as snow. (smile) Yes, when it came, it came quickly, like a thief in the night, and heavily too. And that’s how Jesus said He will be coming back, so we had better be prepared if we want to be raised to meet Him in the clouds, or what we call the Rapture of Christ’s church.
Jesus said that only God knows the time of His return. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.’ (Matt. 24:36-39)
Yes, my fellow believers, Jesus’ return is so unpredictable that it could happen today, tomorrow or two thousand years in the future. It’s so up in the air, that Bruh Paul told the Roman church: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first ) believed).’ (Rom. 13:11) Truly, our salvation is indeed nearer than when we first believed, and every day it draws closer. But that was some two thousand years ago, Bruh Paul wrote those words. And we’re still waiting for Christ to return.
That’s how indeterminate it is. Only the Father knows…And He’s not telling. That means we should be prepared for it to happen at any time…even right now! Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman (master) of the house had known in what watch (hour) the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered (allowed) his house to be broken up (into). Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:42-44)
Oh friends, I cannot overstate the importance of being ready for whenever Jesus returns, because it will indeed be like a thief in the night. He said: ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.’ (Matt. 24:40-41) That means that it will all happen unexpectedly and very quickly, which necessitates the state of always being ready. However, the scholars list some conditions that suggest the Rapture might happen soon…just how soon though? No one knows.
But here’s the list. (1) Israel’s return to the Promised Land. (I believe that happened in 1948). (2) The obvious acceleration of lawlessness. (3) The increase of apostasy – that’s turning away from God. (1 Tim. 4:1) (4) The socio-religious climate preparing for the one world church. (5) The rapid acceleration of life-threatening conditions – such as potential nuclear annihilation, population explosion, and pollution – that require Christ’s return before events run their natural course and terminate the world. Paul listed certain conditions which, though true in every age, appear to be more prevalent today (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
And that’s the indisputable truth. All the stuff Bruh Paul wrote to Timothy is indeed happening in great prevalence. Therefore, as the Christians in Thessalonica lived in expectation of Christ’s imminent return, all Christians ought to live the same way today. Yes, the Thessalonians lived in great expectation after reading Bruh Paul’s words. ‘But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail (labour pains) upon a woman with child (pregnant woman); and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (self-controlled).
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober (self-controlled), putting on the breastplate of faith and LOVE; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should lie together with him.’ (1 Thess. 5:1-10)
And isn’t that the glorious truth my fellow saints! The Father has made provision for us to be taken out of the darkness into the marvellous light of His Son, Jesus Christ, therefore we ought to live as children of light, walking in His awesome LOVE and sharing the message of salvation and eternal life that He’s provided through His sacrificial death and magnificent resurrection! So, let’s get it together today nuh my people, and begin living like we ought to, as children of God and of light, with great expectations of Jesus‘ return, ready and waiting for whenever that momentous occasion occurs.
Now, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now, let’s get out there and do just that: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…all the signs point to Jesus’ imminent return…please, please be ready for whenever it happens…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
14 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ingrates, all these things shall be added unto you, all thy works shall praise thee, another economic celebration, as far as the east is from the west, for without me ye can do nothing, Happy Valentine's Day, he delivered them out of their distresses, he hath removed our transgressions, hearts set for God, his mercy endureth for ever, his tender mercies are over all his works, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I am the vine ye are the branches, in god's eyes, in Jesus all our fears are quelled, in Jesus all our hopes and dreams come alive, like a father pitieth his children, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, making a real difference to our world, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, plenteous in mercy, revert to godly order and righteous state, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, share His love with my neighbours, slow to anger, speak of the glory of thy kingdom, surface fluff, the darkness and ignorance of Satan, the glorious majesty of his kingdom, the godly attribute of love, the Lord is good to all, the Lord is merciful and gracious, their soul fainted in them, they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, thy saints shall bless thee, to whom we belong, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, understand our sorry plight, worry
John 15:5b. …for without me ye can do nothing.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
So, it’s another bright, sunshiny and fairly warm day, this Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, in the middle of February 2023. And though today is a day where we tout the godly attribute of LOVE, sadly our world is still on its roller coaster ride down to the depths of Hades, with disasters aplenty, both natural and manmade, with strife, anger, wars, rumours of wars and all the negative stuff that a fallen and godless world can dream up.
This day of supposed LOVE spreading has turned into another economic celebration. All the flowers, chocolates and the many other presents bought and given seem to be only surface fluff and doesn’t truly represent the LOVE of God. It’s very sad that the Lord’s greatest creation has a heart for His enemy and not for Him. Can you imagine the many wondrous things we could accomplish and the truly beautiful world we could be living in if our hearts were set for God rather than for Satan? And for some reason or other, possibly the darkness and ignorance that Satan’s trying to keep us in, we simply can’t seem to understand our sorry plight and get up and do something about it.
Oh, some of us do understand, that’s the body called the church of Christ. But even then, not enough of us are willing to get up and throw down the evil values of the enemy, so that our once beautiful world can regain some of its lost beauty. And that’s rather unfortunate, for if we believers, we supposed Christians, so-called followers of Christ, truly got up and made the noise and did the awesome things of which we are most certainly capable, especially with the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling within us, then the enemy wouldn’t stand a chance, and our world would revert to some kind of godly order and righteous state.
But too many of us seem either afraid of the evil-doers, or are just too lethargic and lazy to care. We’re still seeking the material things of the world, rather than the righteousness of God’s kingdom. And once the materialism of the world invades our consciousness, we seem to lose the affinity we should be having towards God. Thus, it makes Jesus, our Lord and Saviour’s teaching of no account, where He strongly advises: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Yes, friends, please remember that our God created the universe and all therein, and all of it still belongs to Him, it’s all under His control, and whatever you manage to get, all comes from Him. And with His omniscience, He knows what you need, before you even do, and will give it to you without the heartache and heartbreak of trying to earn them in your own strength. That’s the fatal mistake so many of us make; failing to realize that our God is a good God and only desires the best for us, for those who follow Him in all reverence, sincerity and truth.
What aspects of these bible verses don’t we comprehend eh? ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’ (Ps. 145:9-12)
Oh my fellow saints, are we doing those things: speaking highly of God’s goodness and mercy, the glory of His kingdom and His awesome power? Are we making known to the sons of men his mighty acts? Definitely not to the extent that we should! Not to the extent where it’s making a real difference to our world! Too many of us are afraid to even speak of Jesus in private, much less to acknowledge Him in public. So what do we expect from the unbelievers eh, but unbelief!
And what about these awesome words of encouragement from Psalm 107 eh? ‘O, Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary (desolate) way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-KINDNESS), and for his wonderful works to the children of men.’ (Ps. 107:1-8)
Now that’s what we need to be doing so much more of: praising the Lord for His amazing and undeserved LOVING-KINDNESS towards a bunch of ingrates, so that the world can wake up and understand, appreciate and firmly believe in Him! And then there are these ever faithful, encouraging and moving words from Psalm 103.
‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS) toward them that fear (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103:8-14)
Unfortunately though, we beings created from the dust of the earth don’t seem to remember that. We arrogantly, pridefully and ever so foolishly behave like we are the creators. That’s what happens when you’re given free will and you accomplish a li’l something, wrongly thinking that you did it on your own. Please friends, let’s remember that we can do nothing on our own. Jesus stated that quite plainly when He said: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) What part of that don’t we supposed believers understand eh?
And let’s hope and pray that those scriptures we’ve read today will make a substantial difference in our lives, or simply wake us up to the sad reality of the situation our world is facing, and that we have the ability to make a godly and meaningful difference to it. Now for those of us who are sincerely doing our best to bring some good changes to our world, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all the world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
Now let’s go out and do exactly that: share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Jesus…all our fears are quelled…in Jesus…all our hopes and dreams come alive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
07 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a celebration of Tuesday, a thief in the night, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, are you ready for Jesus' return, as God for Christ's sake, be ye kind one to another, being joyful, bless the Lord oh my soul, can't do the wrong thing and expect the right result, crapaud smoke we pipe, cut out corrupt communication, don't be angry and sin, don't let the sun go down on your wrath, don't steal, eternal separation from God, forget not all his benefits, forgiving one another, foul and abusive language, hath forgiven you, have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, hurry, in god's eyes, it is high time to awake out of sleep, let your words be edifying, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, put away lying, redeemeth thy life from destruction, satisfieth thy mouth with good things, share His love with my neighbours, speak truth, the beloved of God, the day is at hand, the Lord executes judgment and righteousness, the night is far spent, the third person of the Holy Trinity, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, work honestly, worry, ye are sealed until the day of redemption
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
And having embraced the potentiality of this new workweek with a celebration of Monday, let’s continue that joyful embrace with a celebration of Tuesday as well nuh! (smile) Oh friends, being joyful in our earthly lives, regardless of our circumstances, is ever so important, because that’s the ONLY way we’ll ever receive true victory over the enemy and his evil works and despicable cronies. And the only way to be mostly joyful is to have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, with His Holy Spirit dwelling within us to lead and guide us in all righteousness.
But having said that, it is utterly essential that we obey the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit if we want to receive the many and majestic benefits it brings. We can’t obey when we feel like and don’t obey when we don’t. Total obedience is absolutely necessary ALL the time! Yes, like Bruh Paul said to the Ephesians: ‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30)
And I guess the next question will be, how can we grieve the Holy Spirit? Easy, just like we grieve our friends and families when we do wrong. Remember, the Holy Spirit is not an ‘IT’ but a person, the third person of the Holy Trinity, so that means He has feelings just like us. And we grieve Him when we do wrong. As Bruh Paul points out earlier in his missive to the Ephesians, we must put away lying and speak truth. Don’t be angry and sin.
Don’t let the sun go down on our anger. That means don’t go to bed angry, else it will disturb our sleep and we will wake up angry. And when you’re angry, you don’t have the peace of God flowing though you. Likewise, don’t steal, work honestly, don’t use corrupt communication, that’s foul and abusive language. Let our words be edifying, that’s teachable, from which our hearers can learn valuable stuff. And all of that you can find in Eph. 4:25-29.
And we can sum it all up in this verse: ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.’ (Eph. 4:31) And by doing those ungodly things on a regular basis, is how we grieve the Holy Spirit. Then Bruh Paul explains the necessary conduct that should be manifested by a true believer in Christ. ‘And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:32)
Oh my fellow saints, ‘forgiven people, should be forgiving people!’ And it’s ever so important and necessary that we believers learn to live in peace, LOVE and forgiveness with each other, because that’s the ONLY WAY we will ever resist and then conquer the enemy! We can’t do that if we’re living in strife, conflict and evil doing, in other words exactly like the enemy does and desires for us to do. Remember, ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
That means only when we are good and godly do we possess the joyful strength of God, which flows into us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s all quite simple friends. If we want the marvellous benefits that emanate from our merciful and great God, then we need to live the way that He’s set out in His will and His word. You can’t be disobedient and still expect to receive all His many benefits as pointed out by Bruh David in Psalm 103.
‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed.’ (Ps. 103:2-6)
There you have it my brethren; some of the many good things that the Lord God Almighty, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does for those who sincerely bow down and worship Him! It’s amazing though, that so many of us desire to have all those benefits but refuse to do what it takes to get them. It reminds me of one of Sister Joyce’s (Joyce Meyer) sayings: ‘You can’t keep doing the wrong thing and expect to get the right result.’ But that’s exactly what so many of us are indeed doing. We are bowing down to the idols of materialism and evil that control our world, but yet we expect to enjoy the benefits of God. It won’t happen my people!
And please, please, let’s remember that although God LOVES us unconditionally and is long-suffering, that doesn’t mean He will put up with our shenanigans forever. At some stage off the game, if we continue in our present mode of undiluted evil, He will get tired and react in wrath. And believe me, you don’t want to feel God’s wrath, for it’s as great as His LOVE!
Yuh see how many times, and how disastrously He punished the Israelites for their disobedience and unfaithfulness. Don’t think the same thing won’t happen to us eventually, unless we turn from our evil ways. And who knows if it’s not already happening, with all the many calamities and disasters that are currently bombarding our world, be they natural or manmade.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s as Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ (Rom. 13:11-12)
Yes people, it’s certainly time for us to wake up from our slothful and evil ways and begin seriously living for Christ, for with each passing day, His return draws nearer, and if He comes and finds us wallowing in the mire of darkness, then crapaud smoke we pipe! And we certainly don’t want that, for it means eternal separation from God; the worst fate that can ever befall a human being. So please, let’s wake up and do what we need to do, and stop grieving the Holy Spirit nuh.
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home now declaring (wow!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the universe 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, it’s time for us to actually go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is coming back unexpectedly…as a thief in the night…if He comes tonight…will you be ready…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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