14 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as ye have done it unto one of the least, depart from me ye cursed, endured the cross despising the shame, eternal life, everlasting punishment, for the joy that was set before him, get our second wind, glad to be alive, hands on the plough, humility, into everlasting fire, join the fray, lack the parts to walk that talk, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my eyes are looking straight ahead, nailed naked between two thieves, not looking back, not my will but thine be done, obedience, prepared for the devil and his angels, salvation, saving grace, separate the sheep from the goats, set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left, Simon the Cyrene, talk a good talk, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the crown of thorns, the Great tribulation, the Great White throne judgement, the righteous into eternal life, the shame of the cross, the sufferation of Jesus, to a glorious future with Jesus, ungodly ingrates, Wednesday Wail, ye have done it unto me
Matthew 25:40a. …inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
And we’ve progressed to Wednesday, the middle day of our work week, when we get our second wind for the last part of the five labouring days. (smile) I guess it’s like the race cars going like crazy around the oval, who pull into the pits every so often to refuel, change tires and fix whatever else may be wrong, then head back out to the track with a burst of speed to join the fray once again. Yes my faithful brethren, that’s how we ought to be; getting refueled, recharged in our spirits, then getting back into the fray to help lost souls come to Christ to receive His saving grace, salvation and eternal life.
Oh, what a wonderful assignment for a wonderful Saviour! Ah friends, we couldn’t have a better guide, leader and employer. He came to earth and died for us, thus paying for our sins and saving us from eternity with Satan in Hades, then went back to heaven where He currently advocates for us, meanwhile giving us His Holy Spirit to help and comfort us, to enable us to do what He desires of us, then when our days on this earth are over, the unimaginable joy of spending eternity with Him in heaven! How could it get any better than that eh? It certainly could not!
The problem though is that some of us want the benefits without lifting a finger to do the work necessary. But do you think Christ wanted to go to the cross and die that shameful death? No way Jose! Yuh see how the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane He begged the Father three times about not having to go through it. He was so anxious about the whole situation that He even sweated what seemed to be blood. But the Father’s answer was a silent No! Although He did send an angel from heaven to comfort and strengthen Him (Luke 22:39-46)
Eventually Jesus got the message that there was no other way to save the souls of us sinners, and it shows up in His fateful words: ‘Not my will, but thine, be done.’ Yes, my fellow believers, Jesus didn’t relish the thought of going to the cross, but He did it because the Father asked Him to, and He LOVED both us and Father enough to give His sinless life to save our sinful ones. And I hate to bring this up because every time I think about the ‘sufferation’ Jesus endured for our ungrateful sakes, it makes me feel sick inside.
Can you imagine the lashes of that maniacal whip slashing across His back, creating untold and irreparable scars; the crown of thorns pressed down on His holy and sinless head; the spitting and jeering that He was forced to undergo, then carrying that heavy wooden cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary? It’s a good thing the Father saw His sorry state and sent Simon the Cyrene to help carry His cross and give Him a much needed break. And do you think the nails fiendishly pounded into His hands and feet or the gaping javelin wound in His side were a pretty sight and fun to bear.
And just imagine the shame of being nailed up on that cross, between two thieves, totally naked for all to see and jeer, then the added insult of casting lots for his garments, while poor Mary His mother stood there her heart just breaking into fine particles, knowing that that was His destiny, but still wishing that her first born son would not have to undergo such agony for people who couldn’t care less about Him. And now, we want to go to heaven but don’t want to live the godly life it calls for and help others to come to Him for salvation.
Chuh man! What a bunch of ungodly ingrates we are! And we have the gall to be ashamed of Jesus! But look at how He handled all the ‘sufferation’ and shame. The author of Hebrews tells us: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (become discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Now that’s how Jesus handled all the sad and disgraceful stuff He went through, because of the joy of sitting at the Father’s right hand that would come afterwards. Now why can’t we do likewise and put up with some difficulties when we are guaranteed the joy of heaven for eternity eh? Because we’re so full of heifer dust! We talk a good talk but lack the parts to walk that talk. But we want to go to heaven! Hn! Yuh think the Lord lets any and anybody into heaven?
Remember what Jesus said about separating the sheep from the goats? Many of us who think we’re going to heaven will be sadly disappointed because we didn’t do the things that Jesus considers worthy of heaven, like sincerely helping others and not being ashamed of Him and spreading His word sincerely, etc. etc. As He said: ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungred (hungry), and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then he shall say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ (Matt. 25:31-41) Yes friends, that’s what’s going to happen. And those on the left hand shall ask the same questions as the righteous did, but get the unfortunate reply: ‘Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.’ (Matt. 25:45-46)
Now I think it’s important that we should hear the scholars take on the subject. They say: ‘The judgement of the nations concludes our Lord’s prophetic discourse. This judgement of all nations must be distinguished from the Great White Throne judgement at the end of the Millenium. The nations are those peoples living through the Great Tribulation on earth at the time of Christ’s return. This is a judgement of separation: sheep on his right – goats on the left. At this judgement all nations (better, “all Gentiles”) stand before Christ who then separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the lost) in a manner reminiscent of the wheat and tares parable.
Note that these are living nations, whereas the Great White Throne judgement is one of the wicked dead whose bodies are resurrected to face the final judgement of the lost. Thus the saved are invited to come into and share the blessings of His kingdom. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom. The basis of their acceptance seems to be their treatment of the least of these my brethren, the saved of the Great Tribulation.’
Yes friends, it’s heavy and plentiful, but it’s time we begin eating some meat and potatoes of the scriptures rather than simply drinking milk all the time. We cannot grow unless we get down to the nitty gritty of the word. And it takes time and energy to do that. So if we want to grow in the word, then we need to spend the necessary time and energy it calls for. Now let’s go home letting the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, as we declare (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail.
In full 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 just to remind us that if we endure right down to the end with Jesus, that that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…obedience and humility…that’s what Jesus is seeking from His followers…
P.S. Brother is it ever long, and I completely forgot about continuing where we left off yesterday talking about money. I only remembered it halfway through this discourse. But don’t worry, there are methods to mine and God’s madness. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 May 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a modicum of circumspection, despising the shame, endure to the end, endured the cross, excuses, excuses are simply lies, firm, foolish blunders, for the joy that was set before him, gain our second wind, garbage in our souls, hands on the plough, I know the thoughts I think toward you, keep pursuing and never quit, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my only hope lies in god, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, party hearty, Ruth Harms Calkin, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, steadfast, strengthen my will Lord, thank God, the author and finisher of our faith, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the truth shall set you free, there is no hope in man, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to give you and expected end, wasted time, Wednesday Wail, wrong choices
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith;
Welcome to a somewhat cloudy and cool Wednesday, the middle of our work week, where we try to gain our second wind. And that should not be a problem for many of us this week, because of the Victoria Day holiday on Monday. That means this is only our second working day, but who knows, some of us might have partied so heartily on the weekend that Tuesday was like Monday to us. (smile) That’s the trap we often fall into on these long weekends; party so hearty that we’re even more tired than on a normal weekend. And the older we get the harder it becomes to recover from the extreme tiredness.
So, we need to do as Jeeves, the P.G. Woodhouse character, so highly recommends: have, or enforce a modicum of circumspection in those matters, so that we don’t go overboard and then find it difficult to recover. And to help us temper those extreme desires, here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Today’s Poem is simply titled ‘EXCUSES!’
So please read with me: ‘O God I’ve become a self-educated master Of a thousand polished excuses. Hoping to avoid Your penetrating gaze I clutch them to me like valuable gems. When I think I have myself thoroughly covered I’m caught short with the realization That you see right through me. My flimsy excuses are never really hidden. I find an excuse for all my failures Wrong choices Late appointments Wasted time. I excuse my foolish blunders, my laziness My broken resolves, my unreached goals.
I need Your help Lord! To hide from You is as foolish As the Grand Canyon Attempting to hide from the sky. O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become. Strengthen my will Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’
And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’ That’s because, to some extent, we can all see ourselves in those unfortunate and unwise predicaments listed there. We all make excuses for our shortcomings, even when we know deep down that the excuse is either a lie or simply a means to get out of a jam. In fact, someone once said that all excuses are simply lies! Who knows, they might have hit on some truth there. The point is, that although most of us know better, we still tend to make lame excuses for our faults and foibles, not only to our fellow man, but also to God.
And as the poem quite rightly says it is ever so foolish to do that. Why? Because God sees and knows everything, even before it happens. That’s why it’s ever so non-sensical and laughable to hide from Him. We keep saying He’s omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present. But don’t we know what that means? He’s all powerful, sees everything and is everywhere at once. So it’s downright foolish to hide from Him. And even if it were possible, because of God’s overwhelming LOVE and compassion for us, He desires us to bring everything that troubles us to Him, be they good or bad, big or small, important or unimportant.
And until we can handle that fact, that awesome truth, we won’t ever have true peace in our spirits. I’m happy that I learned that awhile back, because now I don’t’ try to keep secrets from God, whatever is on my mind I share it with Him. That doesn’t mean He will always approve of what’s on our minds, and will most likely tell us so, but it frees us from having all those secrets pent up like garbage in our souls and spirits that’s constantly percolating there like food in a blender. What did Jesus say, if you know the truth, the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32) And that’s what the truth does, especially between us and God.
Now, before we can ever achieve the things we asked for help to achieve, that’s: ‘Strengthen my will Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’ Yes, before we can ever get to that point, we first have to acknowledge, believe and set in motion this part. ‘O God, my only hope Lies in Your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what You know I can become.’
Ah mih people, until we recognize God’s awesome power in our lives, we will not become anything close to what He’s planned for us become. Remember what he promised in Jeremiah? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope) (Jer. 29:11)
And the best way to come into the promise is by doing what the Bible Verse of Promise for our poem strongly advocates. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradictions (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (be discouraged.)’ (Heb. 12:2-3)
Yes, my fellow saints, the safest and easiest way to live the Christian life is to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, the one who began our faith and who perfected it, by grasping tightly the promised joy of His Father, and thus despised the shame of being crucified naked on the cross of calvary, as well as the hostility of all those disgusting sinners whom He came to save.
It’s not always easy to do, because of the evil powers and circumstances that keep coming against us, but with Jesus’ help, we certainly can stand strong and steadfast, not get weary and not give up. Remember, the words ‘give up’ are not found in Christ’s vocabulary. (smile) And if we don’t, then we too will eventually sit with Him in heavenly places. Wow!
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our marvellous and very enviable position in Christ Jesus. Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And the next thing is for us to endure until the end, for if we do that, then the promised future will be even more glorious that we can ever ask or imagine. So please, let’s use that promise to help us endure to the very end with Jesus nuh. It’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…hope thou in God…for there is no hope in man…whose life withers and dies…like grass in the blazing sun…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great high priest, a means of evolving, achieving a certain aim, all over bar the shouting, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, bodies atrophy, but did not sin, comfortable with your life, despising the shame, die from lack of activity, endured the cross, enjoying the journey, forward motions, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, make up your own mind, never too old to set another goal, reality, rough and tumble times, stress the number one killer, the author and finisher of our faith, the confusing maze we term life, the joy that was set before Him, the keys of hell death and the grave, the wise money is on Jesus, to dream a new dream, toward a better self, tune into Jesus, was tempted like we are, who can sympathize with our weaknesses, with the Lord's help
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith;
And is it ever a lazy day Saturday my friends! I actually went to bed early and got up early, obviously by my standards, (smile) did a few things, then went back to enjoy some lazy time in my bed. Now isn’t that the way to spend a Saturday morning? It surely is! But as always, reality eventually sticks its unwelcome head in and makes you realize that time’s a passing and there are things to be done, like the Bit.
So, here I am finally, at minutes to ten, on this sunshiny but rather chilly Saturday morning, looking at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, considering what to write about them. But I’m not worried, because I know, with the Lord’s help, I’ll eventually write something worthwhile. (smile).
And I guess we’ll begin with the shortest and simplest quote: ‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! In the first place, while there’s God’s breath of life flowing through your body, you should never stop doing, stop learning or growing, because when you stop, then your life technically stops too, for being inactive causes spiritual death, and ofttimes even physical death too. Just look at those people who retire and simply become sedentary after a half century of being busy. Their bodies soon atrophy and they die from lack of activity.
And thankfully, regardless of your age or mobility, in this modern world of so many conveniences and amenities, there’s always something constructive you can find to do, something that can keep you physically and spiritually active. So there’s absolutely no need to ever stop dreaming or goal setting. You just have to be realistic and find a dream or set a goal that you are still capable of reaching.
And I believe that leads us nicely into this next quote. ‘For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.’ Now that statement is also full of truth. It’s not always about an end or a goal, but more often about the learning and the growing, of improving oneself, the joy of being on the journey. You know when you set out on some trip, physical or mental, by whatever means, you never think so much of the end point, your destination, but more of enjoying the time in between, the time it takes to get there.
And that’s what life is all about, a journey, a journey preferably with Christ Jesus as your Instructor and Guide. For He personally knows all the ups and downs of life, the good and exciting places to visit, as well as the bad ones, because He’s been through it all already. As the Good Book so rightly advises: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Yes friends, Christ Jesus has already blazed the trail and finished the course so that we can have fairly smooth sailing with Him as our Leader and Guide. He knows all the ins and outs of the journey of life, having researched and experienced them to the max. And as the Good Book further explains: ‘Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:14:15)
What a marvellous Lord and Saviour we have my faithful brethren! He knows our weaknesses and can understand what we go through from day to day, because He also experienced the rough and tough times of human life down here on earth. The only difference is that He did not sin. That doesn’t mean He didn’t feel temptation, for He surely did, as you can read in the Good Book, where the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness after His baptism so that the devil could tempt him, and He could walk out of there, the victor in that early battle of their ongoing deadly war. (Matt. 4:1-17)
So, whatever our eternal destination, we know that the journey through this earthly life will be tough, but if we’re walking with Jesus, we also know that even in those rough and tumble times, He’ll take us on an interesting journey, because that’s His promise. ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b)
And that segues rather nicely into our next quote. ‘People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you’re lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life.’
Oh my people, the hullabaloo in our world today is so great that the noise level is maddening! There are so many voices in our heads nowadays, telling us what is good from bad, how to live, how to think, what to eat and wear, etc. etc. that if you’re not careful, it can drive you crazy. That’s why the stress level today is so high and such a big money maker, as well as the current number one killer of the brethren. All of a sudden, our world has gone mad with mountains of advice and supposed truth, most of which however are totally fraudulent.
And when, by hard experience you discover the fraud, and realize that you can do your own thing, you still need good guidance and advice to navigate the treacherous waters of life on your own. But thankfully, there’s still one place you can find some peace, truth and wise advice. That’s in Jesus Christ; as a believer and follower of His. He is the ONLY One who can successfully lead us through this myriad of highways and byways, of dark alleys and narrow lanes, the confusing maze, we term life, and then bring us to that amazing and wonderful destination called heaven!
So, the wise word is to tune out all the voices that are continually fighting to be heard, and it’s not that easy to do, but when you tune into Jesus, He helps you to do just that, and then leads you on an amazing journey, filled with ups and downs, but He never leaves you to face them alone. That’s why this last quote is oh so important. ‘At the end of the day, whether or not those people are comfortable with how you’re living your life doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you’re comfortable with it.’
Now that’s true to a certain extent. We must be comfortable with the lives we’re living, or otherwise what’s the purpose of living it. But then too, in the context that there are basically only two options of living this life, for Jesus, or for Satan, then we need to make a choice as to which one to be comfortable in. And as we all know, the wise money is on Jesus, for He’s already defeated Satan in the battle for overall supremacy, by taking away the keys of hell, death and the grave, Satan’s territory, through His own death and resurrection. So why live for Satan then eh, when Jesus is the victor, when it’s all over bar the shouting! Much LOVE!
…life is certainly turbulent and tumultuous…but with Jesus as our knowledgeable pilot…we can navigate it all with peace, joy and LOVE…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
20 Aug 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, aspires to inspire us, dance like nobody's watching, fear is all around us, fear not, health to thy navel, holy spirit, if there be any wicked way in me, in all thy ways acknowledge him, know my anxious thoughts, know my heart, lead me in the way everlasting, learn from your mistakes, let not your heart be troubled, lie down and die, live like it's heaven on earth, living for Jesus - the only way to go, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, love like you've never been hurt, marrow to thy bones, never be scared, no rest for the wicked, overcome fear by faith in Jesus, search me O God, self-examination, sing like no one's listening, spiritual peace, staring us straight in the eye, the abundant life, the author and finisher of our faith, the joy set before him, the unexamined life is not worth living, tired and worn out, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, try me, when life gives us lemons make lemonade
Psalm 139: 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts:
Saturday, oh blessed Saturday! Where we can laze about and do as we want. No alarm clocks, running to the baby-sitter or day care with the children and then facing the constant traffic jams that have become a normal part of today’s commute to work! No wonder we LOVE Saturday! And with all of that to do five days a week, it’s not surprising that so many of us are tired and worn out physically, emotionally and spiritually.
But not all of us can sleep in on Saturdays. The ole fella still has to be up and about the Lord’s business, figuring out something to say about the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Ah Lord eh! No rest for the wicked. (smile) But I can’t really complain because the Lord usually helps me with that task since He’s allotted it to me, and He always gives us the tools to do the work He requires. So Lord, I ask you now to give me those tools, let your Holy Spirit lead and guide me to write sensible stuff today that will not only serve to open the eyes and hearts of our readers, but even more importantly, praise and glorify your holy name. Amen!
And the first quote goes off with a bang! ‘The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.’ Now that’s wonderful advice, but not so easy to put into action, since nowadays fear is all around us. Fear of disease, fear of fraudulent operators, fear of economic failure, fear of natural disasters, fear of government actions, fear of church brethren, and all of that leads to fear of life itself. Yes friends, everywhere we turn these days, fear seems to be staring us straight in the eye. But fear can be overcome through faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, that’s a guaranteed fact. Oh, we’ll always feel it, but with Jesus in our corner, it won’t get us down or cripple us like it’s doing so many people today.
One of Jesus’ favourite statements was ‘Fear not!’ And I guess it’s only right to quote two of His most famous sayings on the subject. Listen to this first one. ‘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 friends, when we have true peace, fear cannot invade our souls or bodies. And the true source of real peace is Christ Himself! No one or nothing else can give you the kind of uplifting, spiritual peace that He offers; the peace that conquers fear.
Now listen to Him again. ‘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) There you have it! With Jesus and His Holy Spirit in your life, you have the peace of God living right there within you, so there’s no need to fear anything, because your Lord and Saviour has already overcome the evil world and all its tricks and trade. But for good measure, (smile) here’s one more scripture that as we said yesterday ought to be continually in our mind’s eye. These famous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Ah mih people, the only way to numb fear is by having Jesus Christ in our lives, and then sincerely accepting what He tells us. But that doesn’t come easily or overnight, which leads us to this next quote: ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’ Now that’s gospel truth right there my brethren! We simply cannot live a life without examining it, to see what kind of life we’re living. And I guess the best way to begin doing that is to by following Bruh David’s example in Psalm 139, where he pleads: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Ps. 139: 23-24)
Oh friends, how refreshing and renewing is self-examination! Especially when we do it with God’s help. It shows up the things we need to drop, and the places we need to improve. But we need to take it seriously and do what the Lord shows us, or what we know needs to be done. And it helps when we go to the Lord with sincere sentiments like Bruh David does in Psalm 51: ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps. 51:10) The Lord will never turn us away with those kinds of sincere sentiments in our hearts.
That brings us to this next quote which advises: ‘Turn your wounds into wisdom.’ And it does make sense to let our hurts teach us a wiser way to live. It’s basically learning from our mistakes. And that’s exactly what successful people do, for if you don’t learn from your errors, you will continue making the same mistakes and thus getting the same hurtful and wounding results.
And how do we do that? I believe this advice from Cousin Sol in Proverbs makes a good start. He says: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:5-8) Yuh know friends, if you must choose one passage of scripture to remember, one that encompasses all you need to know, that’s it right there! Once you have the basic knowledge of scripture in your hearts and souls, that’s all you really need to live by.
And that segues very nicely into our next quote, which offers great advice: ‘Don’t settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something.’ Ah mih bredrin, with Jesus in our lives, that’s exactly what He expects of us! When life gives us lemons, He expects us to take them and make lemonade. (smile) That means to improve on whatever we are given. Don’t just sit there and accept life’s handouts without any thought of making them better. Unfortunately though, that’s just what many of us do. Life hands us misfortunes and instead of trying to build something better on them, we simply accept them, and do the proverbial thing, lie down and die.
But when you’re follower of Jesus, that’s not acceptable. He expects us to be always improving, always learning, always persevering to become more like Him. Look at the hand that He was dealt when He came to earth nuh. One of persecution, rejection, and abnormal suffering, what I like to term ‘sufferation’ Most of us would have gone crazy and run away. But He stood up and faced it all, obviously with the help of His heavenly Father, and turned the whole world upside down, an upheaval from which it still hasn’t recovered two thousand years later, and never will!
And as the Good Book reminds us, He is the example we all must follow. ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2) So whatever life slings at us, we must let Jesus help us to take it and make it better. That brings us to our last quote: ‘Sing like no one’s listening, LOVE like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth.’
Oh friends, that’s the abundant life, and it’s just how God intended for us to live! But nowadays, in this fallen and sinful world we can only live it if we’ve received Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and keep Him first and foremost in our hearts minds, bodies and souls! That’s the kind of life Jesus died for us to have. He said very clearly. ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) So, the long and short of the story friends, is that to do all those things our quotes tell us, we must be true and strong followers of Christ Jesus! Anything less than that will not cut it. End of story! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus…that’s the ONLY way to go…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Jul 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a race for salvation and eternal life, despising the shame, divine help, endured the cross, finished my course, for the joy that was set before him, heads up, him that endured such contradiction of sinners, hit the pavement running, humble servants, I have fought a good fight, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Jehovah Rapha, kept the faith, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, let us lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no dilly dallying, not become tired or discouraged, pray and sincerely seek your face, right heart motives, run a good race for Christ, run with patience, seeing we are compassed about, so great a cloud of witnesses, take Monday by storm, the author and finisher of our faith, the God who heals, the Holy Spirit to empower us, the righteous judge, the sin which doth beset us, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, to run our race, unto all them that love his appearing, wait with eager and expectant patience
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).
Heads up my people! It’s Monday, and that means no dilly dallying, we’ve got to hit the pavement running, charging into the enemy’s ranks, not foolishly, but wisely, spunky and unafraid, living out the gospel of Christ in our godly, worthwhile actions. Yes, we’ve got to take Monday by storm and let it know unequivocally that we mean business, this first day of the work week…and each and every day after that too!
Ah mih bredrin in these troubled times it is indeed necessary for us to run our race, to run a good race for Christ, one without too many hindrances. And we can only accomplish that if we follow the guidelines of the Good Book. The author of Hebrews tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (snare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12:1)
Yes friends, we have a whole ‘cloud of witnesses’ looking on, that’s the heroes of our faith referred to in chapter 11, and we need to do them proud; set the same kind of example that they set, living by strong faith in Christ. However, to do that successfully, we must first remove any impediments that are weighing us down, be it excessive clothing or body weight. Then get ourselves out of any entangling sin that’s holding us back and finally move forward with endurance, keep persevering, because this is a race for salvation and eternal life, one race in which we cannot quit, cannot give up.
In fact, we can’t even come second, (smile) we’ve got to win it for those who need to come to Christ. And the best way to do all of the above is like the author of Hebrews continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Oh my people, there could be no better example for us to follow than that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who first blazed the trail of our faith and crossed the finish line miles ahead of all the other participants. We’ve got to keep our eyes fixed steadfastly on that finish line and just keep going in the direction that He set without turning to the right nor to the left. And the next verse puts it all in true perspective. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (become discouraged).’ (Heb. 12:3)
Yes faithful believers, we must remember the suffering and rejection that Jesus went through on our behalf and not become tired and/or discouraged when we face the many problems that will crop up in all of our lives. That’s just par for the course. Remember though that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to empower, lead and guide us in all righteousness, so it’s not as difficult as it would otherwise be.
And here’s the sort of situation we ought to end up in. They are Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy. He said: ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Wow! What a powerful testimony! That’s how we need to go out of this world my fellow saints; a winner in the race of life, ready to receive that crown of righteousness from our ever-faithful God! Now, all that we’ve said above is both true and wonderful, but the whole process has got to begin somewhere, and that beginning somewhere is always prayer! So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace in prayer, outlining our current position through our Monday Morning battle Hymn.
As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now friends, we’ve got to wait with eager and expectant patience (smile) for heaven’s answer, and while doing that, keep our promises and develop right heart motives. That’s the only way we will receive positive answers. Much LOVE!
…JESUS…our champion and glowing example…in the race of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leader's courage to fulfill his vison, according to his riches in glory, all glory be to God, Anselm, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, baptizing them, be ye likeminded, being of one accord, comes from passion not position, compassed about, deny ourselves, despising the shame, do actions to raise Christ's presence, endured the cross, esteem the other better than yourselves, even unto the end of the world, for His goodness and mercy, get closer to Jesus, giving up our lives for Christ, go ye therefore and teach all nations, Happy New Year, his seed begging bread, I am with you always, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in lowliness of mind, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, let us run with patience, life will remain the same, live high on the hog, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my God shall supply all my needs, my passion wakes me, passion, prepare to be great through sacrifices, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, set down at the right hand of the throne of God, showers of blessings, take up our cross, the author and finisher of our faith, the control centre of your life, the indisputable truth, the sinful children of men, the ultimate sacrifice, with so great a cloud of witnesses, your attitude
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, it’s 2022 now my brethren, and I want to wish us all in this most favoured Scrip-Bit family a blessed and happy New Year! Some things will change, but most of life will remain the same, and with Jesus dwelling in our souls and bodies, we will be able to handle whatever comes against us, just like we handled it this past year! All glory be to God my people, for His goodness and mercy to us, sinful children of men!
And like I’ve been saying over the last few New Year’s days, the only resolution we need to make is to get closer to Jesus! Like He promised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Like Bruh David says in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked: ‘I have been young , and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread.’ (Ps. 37:25) And that’s the indisputable truth my fellow believers! No righteous believer in Christ will ever beg for bread!
And Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians reinforces that quite well. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) And if all of that doesn’t raise your passion for Christ this New Year’s morning, then I don’t know what will! (smile) Now, since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first one tells it exactly like it is: ‘There are greater things to be achieved in every new year, and each and every one must prepare themselves to be great, not by words of the mouth, but by a lot of sacrifices.’ And that’s the glorious truth friends. As they say, actions speak louder than words! You can’t deny that. And if we really want to live for Jesus, this year of 2022 is going to call for Christians to make a lot of sacrifices in Christ’s name and do numerous actions that will raise His presence in this evil and ungodly world.
Remember Jesus said that if we don’t deny ourselves, give up our will, take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy to be called His disciple. (Matt. 16:24) Living for Jesus friends, means making sacrifices for Him, even to the ultimate sacrifice of giving up our life for Him. But thankfully, in our Western society, going to the ultimate sacrifice is not necessary, although it is in some other societies around the world, and those believers there do exactly that.
But out here in our wonderful and entitled society many of us won’t even sacrifice a broken fingernail on Christ’s behalf, but yet we expect to get showers of blessings, and live high on the hog. It won’t happen friends. The only way that Jesus will be glorified in our currently ungodly world is by His followers making much sacrifice, and not the easy, but the tough kind!
That brings us to this next quote: ‘The control centre of your life is your attitude.’ And that’s no lie. Your basic attitude towards life in general, and Christ in particular, controls what you will and won’t do. So, if you have an arrogant, evil, ungodly attitude or mindset, then those are the things to which you will gravitate. On the other hand, if you have a kind, LOVING and godly mindset, you will gravitate to the things of Christ. And this year, my fellow believers, more than ever before, our premier task is to get the unbelievers to change their mindset to one that values and believes in Christ Jesus, for that’s the only way our world will ever improve.
And our problems won’t go away, or even be lessened, until, and unless more of us get together under the glorious umbrella of Christ. Remember Bruh Paul’s entreaty to the Philippians? ‘Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same LOVE, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but everyman also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ.’ (Phil. 2:2-5)
Yes friends, we all need to come to the thinking of Christ; humble, obedient, LOVING, compassionate and considering the welfare of others more than ourselves, if we ever hope to better this world. That leads us to the next quote: ‘To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes a reality.’ And as most of us know, that’s the awesome truth! You can’t succeed at ANYTHING, unless you are so passionate about it, that in your mind and actions, it’s like it has already come to fruition, already become a reality.
And I believe a good analogy is what Jesus said in this Beatitude: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’(Matt. 5:6) Yes mih people to achieve anything, we must be that passionate over it, like we’re hungering and thirsting for it. And that carries us right into the following quote: ‘No alarm clock needed. My passion wakes me.’ Now that’s all a part of the same equation; to succeed takes great passion. So much so that we don’t even need an alarm clock to wake us up in the morning, our passion for our project does that automatically.
And the last quote puts it all together: ‘A great leader’s courage to fulfil his vision comes from passion, not position.’ Oh my brethren until we realize that a leader’s position is not merely a state of power but one of enormous and constant passion, we will never be ready for a leadership role. And the best example we have of that is our Leader, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who withstood all the sacrifice, resentment, rejection and punishment He had to bear, because He was truly passionate about saving us, about saving a sinful mankind, and that was the only way it could be righteously and justly done.
As the Good Book so exultantly declares, admonishes and advises (smile): ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:1-2)
My fellow saints, if we want to be true and sincere followers of Christ, then we have to give up our own desires and follow His; follow His lead, if He is our leader. And remember what He’s called us to do, His last request to His disciples? ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Now isn’t it time we got serious and do what our Leader asks of us? It certainly is, especially with the sad, sick and sorry state that our world is currently in! Much LOVE!
…if you truly know Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE Him…and LOVE those around you…even when it’s difficult to do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, all ye that hope in the Lord, be of good courage, be thou my strong rock, bow down thine ear to me, curse, deliver me in thy righteousness, deliver me speedily, despising the shame, end the pity party, endured the cross, faith, favour, fight the good fight, for a house of defense to save me, for the joy that was set before him, for thy name's sake lead and guide me, good friends, guaranteed to win the war, He died in our place, he shall strengthen your heart, heartfelt desire, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, In thee O Lord do I put my trust, is set down at the right hand of the throne of God, Jesus is our example, King of Kings, let me never be ashamed, looking unto Jesus, Lord of Lords, LOVE, negative word, O love the Lord all ye his saints, oh how great is thy goodness, our carnal mind, our flesh isn't helping matters, plentifully rewardeth the proud doer, propser, sad droopy look, sel-contorl, self-discipline, set my feet in a large room, share the blessings, shut me up into the hand of the enemy, so that we could have a good life, succeed, the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord preserveth the faithful, the purposes of God's Word, the sands of time, them that fear thee, thou hast known my soul in adversities, Thursday Blessings, we have Jesus, win the victory, with Christ in us and we in Him
Psalm 31:23. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.
Come now mih bredrin, why that sad, droopy look this bright and sunny Thursday morning eh? Oh, I know that it’s not always easy to put on a bright and smiley face when things aren’t going right, but we have to make the effort, and at least not allow those sad times to last too long. Remember we have Jesus, who died in our place so that we could have a good life and do all that we need to do through His amazing strength. And yes, the evil world is fighting a strong fight against us, and our carnal mind, our flesh isn’t helping matters either.
But again, let’s not forget that we have Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in our corner, and with Him beside us we can fight every enemy and win the victory! All praise and glory to His Holy name my brethren! Life isn’t easy, but with Christ in us, and we in Him, we are well prepared, have all we need to fight the good fight. And though we might lose a few battles here and there, we are guaranteed to win the war with Jesus, our esteemed Leader in our camp!
So now it’s time to end the pity party and return to the safe, secure and happy pavilion of our great and wonderful God by reminding ourselves of why we first believed and continue believing. Let’s do that by declaring (yeah!!!) these marvellous words of Bruh David from Psalm 31.
‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (I take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps. 31:1-5)
Ah friends, remember when you said similar words to the God of your forefathers and accepted His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Well nothing has really changed, just a li’l trial and tribulation occurring along our pilgrim’s journey to heaven. And remember again, that with Jesus dwelling in us, through His awesome Holy Spirit, we can deal with anything that comes against us.
Yuh know, even Jesus had it rough. On His human side, He too was tempted, rejected, betrayed, and suffered loads of inhumane treatment on our behalf, but He didn’t turn away His face from Calvary. And so too, we ought not to turn away from doing His work. Like Him, we too need to rest sometimes, but the idea of stopping or giving up should never occur to us, because He is our example, and He didn’t give up even when it came to giving His sinless life so unselfishly for us.
Thus, the least we can do is put up with a li’l suffering on His behalf. We need to follow in His footsteps, as the scriptures advise. ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2)
Oh mih people, what a mighty example our Lord and Saviour set us! For the joy of our salvation and the rewards He would receive from the Father, He willingly accepted the sufferation of the cross. Likewise, for the rewards of heaven that we have been promised, we ought to stand strong and bear whatever burdens we need to bear down here. So let’s not look at the course, but at the finish line, that’s heaven, as Jesus did, and we’ll not notice the trials and tribulations along the way as much. Remember, Jesus has already blazed the trail, cleared the path to heaven, so we don’t need to do anymore clearing, just follow in the footsteps He left in the sands of time.
Therefore, we can say like Bruh David did: ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles). And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy (given me over to the enemy): thou hast set my feet in a large room (a wide place).’ (Ps. 31:7-8)
Yes, my fellow saints, in these evil and turbulent times, life will not be sweet and easy, and we will have to put out a lot of effort to keep things under control, but with the Lord God Jehovah occupying a special place in our lives, being Number ONE to us, we don’t have to worry about accomplishing our earthly tasks.
Hear Bruh David tell it again nuh: ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (place) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues…. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer.’ (Ps. 31:19-20, 23)
Oh friends, I hope all of that has reminded us of what we signed up for with Jesus, and all the promises we have to enjoy at the end of the road. It certainly brightened my outlook, because I was one of those with the sad, droopy looks before I began writing this Bit. But that’s one of the purposes of God’s Word; to brighten our outlook when times get rough. So let’s never forget when times look dim, we need to get into the Word and reenergize ourselves.
And how can we ever forget the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on us to do His earthly work eh? So, let’s spell out in loud and sincere voice, what we call our Thursday Blessings. Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having declared all that, we now have to go out and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! That’s His heartfelt desire! Much LOVE!
…be of good courage…and he shall strengthen your heart…all ye that hope in the Lord… (Ps. 31:24)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a marathon race, a new day, at the right hand of the throne of God, clothing, courage, creativity, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, embrace all the promises of God, enables us to run our race, endurance, endured the cross, euphoria, examples of the champions, excessive body weight, faint in your minds, favour, finished the course, focus on Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, gain a strength and sense of purpose, give God some thanks and praises, heroes of faith, I want to jump and shout for joy, is set down, it feels so good to be alive, Jesus blazed the trail, Jesus is the best example, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied, let us run with patience, lift us from glory to glory, living by faith, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, negative word, promotion, prosper, rise to a higher level of humanity, seeing we are compassed, sing praises to my Lord and Saviour, so great a cloud of witnesses, succeed, the author and finisher of our faith, the extraordinary feeling, the feeling of peace and calm, the race that is set before us, the sin which so easily ensnares us, Thursday Blessings
Hebrews 12:1b. …let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
It’s a new day people, so graciously granted to us by our heavenly Father, so let’s give Him some thanks and praise for it nuh, and promise to enjoy it to the fullest, while doing His awesome will! Yes friends, it feels so good to be alive on this Thursday morning, that despite all my difficulties, I still want to jump and shout for joy and sing praises to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! Hope you are also experiencing the same extraordinary feeling, because it is not a normal emotion that the world, that unbelievers can experience.
That feeling of peace and calm, of LOVE and goodwill to our fellow beings, even when we are in the midst of a dreadful storm ourselves! And that feeling of euphoria, even in the darkest times is only possible when Jesus has first place in our lives. When we focus on Him, our lives take on a different quality, we rise to a higher level of humanity, we gain a strength and sense of purpose that enables us to run the race that our Creator has set out for us.
Yes friends, when we embrace all the promises that our God has made down through the ages, we are then able to rise to the occasion, and allow Him to lift us from glory to glory, ever becoming more faithful and Christlike as we live this earthly life. And these awesome words from the Good Book epitomize all that I’m saying. The author of Hebrews, which resonate like the words of Bruh Paul, but which some scholars doubt, gives us this news of great assurance about running our race.
‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12:1) And I guess it’s only appropriate that I enclose the lengthy, but excellent explanation the scholars provide on that verse, so that we will get the real meaning and understand it perfectly. (smile)
‘12:1. The present exhortation to run finds its basis in the examples of the champions mentioned in chapter eleven. These heroes of the faith are like a cloud of witnesses. As “witnesses” (Gr. marturon) they are sometimes regarded as spectators (Gr. theatai) or as martyrs; yet the Greek word should be understood as referring simply to those who testify or witness. The emphasis is on the witness provided by their living by faith.
This race of faith is described by three modifying statements. First, it is to be run by laying aside every weight. This refers to impediments that weigh one down, whether clothing or excessive body weight. These things are not inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner, or the faithful Christian they must be removed.
Second, it is to be run by putting off the entangling sin. This seems to refer to the one sin above all others that defeats a Christian. This may be a different sin for each individual. Third, it is to be run with patience (Gr. hypomones). Since patience is not an attribute commonly associated with running, this word would be better translated as endurance. Endurance and persistence have been on the author’s mind since the end of chapter 10 (cf. 10:32, 36-38, 11:13).’
There you have it friends, our race is all about faith, learning from the faithful exploits of those who have gone before us and setting glorious examples, glorious witness and testimony for those who are coming after us. And remember our race is not a sprint, but a marathon, and those require much endurance and strength, both physical and spiritual, that’s why we need to practice, and practice seriously if we truly desire to win our individual races. And friends, the ability to do that is certainly enhanced when Jesus is our focus, cause remember we can do all things through Him, who strengthens us.
Thus, the second verse of Hebrews 12 boldly continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) Oh my people, that verse is key, for it is Jesus who began our faith and completed the first race in it.
And the scholars declare it thus: ‘12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’
That makes Him the best example to follow in running our race. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin.’ (Heb. 12:3-4)
And the scholars explain: ‘12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’ Make no doubt about that my brethren! Jesus is the example that our heavenly Father wants us to emulate. Yes, He knows that it won’t be easy, but that’s why He has blessed us so profusely with all the parts and trappings to be successful.
And let’s thank our lucky stars, or should I say, our heavenly Father, (smile) that very few of us will have to undergo and endure the sad and brutal punishment that Jesus endured for our sinful sakes. That means we need to show gratitude by putting our best foot forward in supporting and promoting His wonderful cause. And He’s so magnificent and magnanimous that He’s even given us the tools to help us do His work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. Wow! So let’s remind ourselves of them as we go home this bright but cold Thursday morning nuh.
As one strong, confident but humble voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having declared them, let’s now go out, or stay in, or whatever, and share them with others, use them to benefit others, just as magnanimously as Christ has done with and for us. Much LOVE!
…the Lord knew we needed help in witnessing…that’s why He provided so many good examples…the best being Jesus…
15 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all creation praise the Lord, author and finisher of our faith, back with a vengeance, cannot be touched by our infirmities, come boldly to the throne of grace, find grace to help, for my sake, for the joy that was set before him, I'm only human, in time of need, Jesus is our everything, Jesus understands our predicament, looking unto Jesus, moauntains and hills, not hearsay, obtain mercy, one day at a time sweet Jesus, personal expereince, raise our voices, saints of Christ, shout Hallelujah, suspend physical gathering, teach me to take, tomorrow may never be mine, universal praise, yesterday's gone
Hebrews 12:2a. Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of our faith;
Well friends, it was nice while it lasted; I mean the physical ‘gatheration’ in the Lord’s sanctuary for the past couple of months. But with the Covid -19 business coming back with a vengeance in a second wave, it’s been thought prudent, in my local church, after today, to suspend the physical gathering for a month and revert to just the virtual stuff. And if that saves lives, then so be it. It was good seeing a few people after such a long time though, but the virus is no respecter of persons and it doesn’t make sense trying to buck it if it’s not necessary.
So let’s get down to the business of worship now nuh. And today we’ll sing a song penned by Marijohn Wilkins and Kris Kristofferson back in the last half of the last century, a favourite of all believers, titled ‘One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus.’ And no, we not doing a strictly soul version, but an easy rocking reggae version, a la Carlene Davis, the well-known Jamaican Gospel singer. So altogether now, let’s raise our voices in sweet harmony as we give praise, thanks and adoration to our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
And we opening with the chorus…some easy skanking now. (smile) ‘(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) I’m only human I’m just a woman (man) Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am. Oh show me the stairways I have to climb Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time.
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time) Oh do you remember? When you walked among men? Well Jesus you know If you’re looking below That its worse now than then Oh there’s Cheating and stealing, violence and crime. So Lord for my sake teach me to take One day at a time)
(Chorus: One day at a time sweet Jesus That’s all I’m asking from you Just give me the strength To do everything that I have to do Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine Help me today, show me the way One day at a time Oh help me today Show me the way One day at a time… One day at a time…Sweet Jesus…Teach me to take One day at a time…One day at a time…Lord help me today…Show me the way…One day at a time.’
Oh mih people, that was some nice easy rocking! And what I like about it all is that when the riddim is rocking down here on earth, heaven rocks with us! Glory be! And so it should be, all God’s creation ought to praise Him. As the psalmist so rightly says in Psalm 148 – All creation to praise the Lord. It’s a universal declaration:
‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah): Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons (sea creatures), and all deeps. Fire and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men and maidens; old men, and children:
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn (strength, dominion) of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah)!’
Yes mih people, the psalmist is calling on everybody, all of God’s creation; heavenly beings and heavenly bodies, as well as earthly beings and earthly substances to give God praise because of His creative power and the towering majesty of His awesome glory. Yes, our great and powerful God should always be showered with praise because He undoubtedly deserves it! And no more so than for giving us the greatest gift ever, salvation and eternal life through the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Wow mih bredrin! If that isn’t something to give much thanks and praise for, then I don’t know what is nuh. For Jesus is all that we can ever ask for or desire! He’s our EVERYTHING! He came to earth and experienced the evil and tough times like we’re doing, was tempted just like we are, but did not sin, so He understands our predicament from personal experience, not hearsay. That’s why it’s simple common sense to turn to Jesus for help.
And I want to leave us with a couple of appropriate scriptures that proclaim such wisdom. Both are from the Book of Hebrews. The first says we can run our race day by day: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
And the second scripture tells us of the sympathetic Christ. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (confession of faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:14-16)
Yes precious saints of Christ, that’s why we can look to Jesus for grace and mercy to live each day as we ought to, in His name, doing His work, diligently and excellently! Much LOVE!
…if yuh not turning to Jesus for help…then yuh being foolish…
14 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a marathon, a name above every other, blazed the trail, compassed about, compassion, continuing instant in prayer, deliver us, endurance, endured the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faithfulness of God, falling into the common rut, finisher, friend of Jesus, from God the Father, gave himself for our sins, grace, greetings, heavenly witnesses, hurry, I make all things new, in god's eyes, January, Jesus is Lord, lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, make time for God, marked-down trinkets, never leave nor forsake us, New Testament churches, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, our Lord Jesus Christ, patient in tribulation, peace, perfector of our faith, perseverance, praise, race of faith, rejection, rejoicing in hope, resolutions, rewarded, run with patience, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad, salutations, Seasonal Affective disorder, set before us, shame, share His love, sin, so easily beset us, so great a cloud of witnesses, thanksgiving, that fadeth not away, the author, the beleoed of God, the devil, the fallen angel, the hardest to run, the joy set before him, the miserable month, the most rewarding to win, the race, the race of life, the right hand of the throne, this present evil world, to the glory of the Father, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
Greetings and salutations this dreary looking Tuesday morning my Scrip-Bit friends and families! And as Bruh Paul liked to say in his letters to the New Testament churches: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!’ (Gal. 1:3-5) Yes my faithful brethren, EVERY DAY, we ought to remember the Father and the wonderful things He’s done for us through Christ Jesus and give Him the necessary praise and thanksgiving!
And please don’t tell me it’s too difficult, or you’re too busy and you don’t have time…Make time! You make time for other not so important stuff, but you can’t make time for God, the most important thing, being and element in your life? Steups! Just take a moment and consider your state if He had not shown His amazing LOVE and compassion through the incomparable gift of His Son! You’d be headed straight for hell and the eternal company of Lucifer, the fallen angel and now the deceitful, lying devil!
But through Christ, He’s offered us another option, much better than what we had – eternal life with Him and Christ in heaven – and yuh boldfaced enough to tell me that you can’t make time to spend a few minutes with Him every day! Chuh! Pure foolishness that mih breddren! Anyway, here’s a most appropriate writing for this time of year and our current winter affliction; SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And it’s also appropriately titled ‘January.’
Please pray with me: ‘It’s January, Lord – The drab, dreary middle – And my thoughts are as drab As the miserable month. Does everybody hit a January slump Or am I the only one? The first week wasn’t too bad: There were Christmas thank-yous to write A few resolutions to store away The huddle of year-end sales. But thank-you notes bring no returns And resolutions are quickly broken and marked-down trinkets fast lose appeal. When You said “Behold I make all things new” Did You forget January, Lord? Or in January do I sometimes forget You?’
Ah friends, I think the correct answer is more like the last one – we forget the Lord, because He’s promised NEVER to leave nor forsake us, and He always keep His promises. That we know for a fact. So if any forgetting goes on, it’s most surely on our side of the equation. And the strange thing is that the drearier and more downcast the weather and our souls are, the more we need to find consolation in God, not forget or move further away from Him. It’s like when you’re sick, that’s when you certainly need a doctor, and the worse you get, the more you need the medic! You run to Him more than ever then, not away from him.
And it’s the same with our great God; we need Him more than ever when things are not going so good. So let’s think on that some today nuh, and see if we’re falling into that common rut. And we should also think on the Bible Promise from the poem, which is our Bit for today. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Yes friends, we have so many heavenly witnesses looking on at our race of faith, who earlier ran the same race and testified to the LOVE and faithfulness of God, that we need to get serious and put aside any and everything that will hinder us in our own faith walk. And please remember that our race of faith is not a sprint, but a long-distance race, a marathon; one that requires lots of endurance and energy, not merely simple patience. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12)
That’s the kind of belly and backbone we need to run our race friends! And though we have plenty of other believers to look at as examples, the best and brightest is as the Good Book says: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Oh my people, how can there ever be a better example than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? NEVER! For He is the One who blazed the trail, made the way, didn’t consider the shame or rejection or all the other negative stuff thrown at Him, and finished the race in steadfast and enduring faith! Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! That’s why the Father exalted Him to sit at His right hand of His throne ‘and given Him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
And likewise my brethren, if we are faithful and run our race with an abundance of the necessary Christian elements, then we too will also be rewarded at the end. As Peter calls it: ‘a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet. 5:4) So let’s up the ante this cold and dreary-looking winter’s day nuh – and even if you’re in the blazing sunshine too! (smile) Let’s raise the level of our faith so that we can witness for Jesus, like the true salt and light we’re meant to be.
And we can begin doing that by declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra with strong voice and sincere hearts. As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Then the next move is to actually go out and share Jesus’ wonderful LOVE and amazing friendship! Much LOVE!
…the race of life…the hardest to run…but the most rewarding to win…
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