27 Dec 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sad blot on our efforts, a vision of the universe, all should come to repentance, anxisety, avenues of encouragement, backsliders, be responsible, Bible, can never repay our debt to Jesus, carnal lusts, christianity, Christmas all year round, come as a thief in the night, come together in peace and harmony, confusion, damnation, die trying, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, dreams, drive our motivations, enlightened times, error of their ways, faith, food, Friday chant, fulfilling the mandate, God-given dreams, good will to all mankind, have our houses in order, hellfire, holy spirit, it's been a good time, it's not always necessary to preach with words, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful greetings, light, living the life we talk, lost the world to the evil one, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, make a worthwhile effort, making disciples, mercy, negative emotions, not willing that any should perish, of all nations, omnipotent help, our sinful world, peace, problems are escalating, rejuvenate, salt, salvation, sharing gifts, simmering unrest, sincere witness, smiles, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, sufferation, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the courage of Christ, the day of the Lord, the generation that gave up, the goodness of God, the Great Commission, the Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, the LOVE of Jesus, the now dormant, the rapture of the church, the throne of grace, to do Christ's bidding, to turn our evil world around, trusting faith, truth, unexpected storms, ungodliness, ungodly times, visions, wake up and smell the coffee, wiles'lies, wisdom, wise guidance, with the state of our own lives, witnessed through our lives
2 Peter 3:9b. The Lord is …longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And then it was Friday, and in this most joyful season of Christmas, the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ rise up to heaven with more than the usual thankfulness. Some of us had to be back at work today, following the public holidays of Christmas and Boxing days, while some are blessed to be off for the entire time from Wednesday to Monday. But whatever your situation, let’s hope that it’s been a good time, and continues to be such, with peace, joy, LOVE and good will to all mankind, as the Lord desires.
Christmas is the one time of the year that we drop some of our negative emotions and sort of come together in peace and harmony. That leads me to wish that we could have Christmas all year round, celebrate Christ’s birth throughout the entire year. (smile) I can see it in my mind’s eye! What a time of joy and peace that would be! People coming together, all smiles and joyful greetings, sharing gifts and food and the LOVE of Jesus! Wow! It would certainly help to rejuvenate the now dormant LOVE Revolution!
Okay, so I’m just dreaming, but dreams and visions are what drive our motivations and help us get to where we want to go. The Lord began with a dream, a vison of the universe He desired to create, and then He acted on it, and here we are. Likewise, when we have God-given dreams and visions, we also need to act on them. And today, I hope that ALL believers in Christ Jesus would have the dream, the vision of ourselves getting up, losing our fears and embracing the courage of Christ, and thus becoming much better witnesses for our Lord and Saviour.
Remember what Peter tells us: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:9) Now that means the Lord doesn’t want any of His human creation to end up in hellfire and damnation with Beelzebub, and He’s been patiently waiting for us, Christ’s disciples to get out there and bring as many as possible, preferably ALL of mankind to repentance, and thus salvation.
But He won’t wait forever. And as Peter therefore reminds us: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10) Yes friends, if we miss the friendly Rapture of the church, we had better have our houses in order by the time Jesus comes again with judgement, for after that there will be no chance whatsoever to turn things around.
That’s why we must get to our tasks of spreading the good news of Christ’s gospel right now, with as much fervour and zeal as we can muster. Oh my fellow believers, don’t you see the numerous number of mankind that are sadly falling for Satan’s wiles and lies, and are thus headed for hellfire and damnation with him. It’s a sad blot on our efforts, or lack thereof, that in these supposed enlightened times, so many people are openly and joyfully embracing the carnal lusts and ungodliness of the evil one.
We obviously are not fulfilling the mandate of the Great Commission, of going out to all parts of the world and teaching and making disciples for Christ of those nations. And the unfortunate thing is that there has never been a better or easier time, with all sorts of new avenues, books, radio, television, internet, etc., etc. to get the word out to the world. And yet, many still fall to the deceitful and evil schemes of the world, possibly having never heard of Jesus’ goodness and mercy, or having not seen enough LOVE and goodness as witnessed through our lives.
Yes my brethren, talk is cheap, but the true taste of discipleship is the way in which we live our lives! And so many of us are living lives that don’t live up to our talk, so how can we expect others to come to Jesus when we’re as resentful, unloving, unforgiving, and ungodly, just like them? It’s like the saying goes, most of the time we don’t have to preach with words, but with the state of our own lives. That’s what draws people to Christ; to see us living the life we talk.
And that’s where we’ve got to get better in these difficult and troubled times, for people are looking for serious avenues of encouragement and we have the best; that of belonging to, and living for Jesus! So let’s show it to the world nuh, let’s be the true salt and light that Jesus expects us to be. If not for our sakes, then for those of our children’s children, for I’m sure we don’t want any of those to fall for the foibles and deceits of Satan. And to help us do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid to turn our evil world around.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, does our world ever need to wake up and see and smell the goodness of our great God. But they can only do it through our sincere witness. We certainly don’t want to be known as the generation that lost the world to the evil one. So let’s become the people that Jesus expects us to be nuh…for our sake, as well as His. He went through too much ‘sufferation’ on our behalf, for us not to make a worthwhile effort to do His bidding. Much LOVE!
…we can never repay our debt to Jesus…but we can surely die trying…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Jan 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beggarly society, a famine of the heart, a lack of God's word, denying the power thereof, economic deprivation, faith, from such turn away, gospel revivals, having a form of godliness, humble servants, hunger, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, joy, keep God first place, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, lovers of their own selves, materialism, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, New Year's Eve, no godly wisdom in leadership, no open vision, peace, perilous times, poverty, sincerely seek God's face, strife, strong faith in Christ, the God who heals, the prince of darkness, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), truth, violence, where there is no vision the people perish, wisdom
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Oh my Script-Bit friends and families, I do wish all of us a happy and prosperous 2024, with all of God’s grace and mercy enlivening our spirits, causing us to draw closer to Him and do better work on His behalf! That’s because our New Year’s resolution is to become more intimate with Him. (smile) And now that we’ve had some snow, but still no sunshine, and the big New Year’s bash is over for another 365 days – no 366, as this year is a leap year, what’s the result eh? Tiredness and/or inebriation from too much drink and too much partying, but everybody will agree on how they had such a great time. (smile)
All to what purpose, for nothing has changed since last night, and most likely nothing will change for better, but more likely for worse soon. Today there are still wars and rumours of wars, violence, strife, hatred, anger and all the evil and negative things promoted by the prince of this dark world. Hunger and poverty, economic deprivation and homelessness, as well as health care and education are still major problems in our world. But no one ever considers spending the money we spend on things like New Year’s Eve on those immediate and moral necessities.
No, there’s never any money to do those things, that’s why our modern-day society, which is rolling in material wealth, is in such misery and has become more beggarly than ever. Charitable associations abound, with everybody begging for a handout, supposedly to help others right in the rich, supposed first world countries. Why do we need so many charitable institutions eh? And where does all the money they collect go to eh? What gets me annoyed is that even the ones you give to, keep asking for more, and some you don’t even know about write for donations. These days when I go to the mailbox, if there are ten pieces of mail, at least eight are from Charitable Organizations asking for donations.
Meanwhile, in all this flurry of materialism and greed, the things of God; LOVE, peace, joy, wisdom and understanding, compassion and humanity are being relegated to the back burners of our society. In fact, in the last few days, several players in the war games have ramped up their positions, getting ready for possible engagement before long. What is it with the human soul, mind, body and spirit that we are so enamoured with war and violence eh, with gross inhumanity to our brothers, both literally and figuratively?
You certainly don’t hear of any countries ramping up for gospel revivals, or LOVE Revolutions, or any of those things that have to do with Almighty God. No, that would not be tolerated, but warmongering will always be welcome! Ah Lord eh! I believe that our sad situation has to do with two basic scriptures. The first being the wise words of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) Yes friends, where there is no prophetic vision, no redemptive revelation of God, the people perish because they cast off restraint and do as they want. But he who keeps God’s moral law, as well as the law of man will be blessed.
It’s as simple as that my brethren. If there’s no godly wisdom and leadership in a society, it will obviously crumble in short time. And we have a very good example of that back in the days of the judges of Israel, when the Good Book tells us: ‘In those days there was no king In Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that was definitely a chaotic time in Israel. These words from the first book of Samuel also illustrate the malady that happens when God is not present in a society. ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision.’ (1 Sam. 3:1)
The scholars then explain: ‘The severity of Israel’s apostasy (turning away from God), as we see in the quote from Judges above, caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating as Cousin Sol says in the Proverbs quote. By God’s grace the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. 3:21; 10 20) That’s where the Lord spoke to Samuel.
And the prophet Amos said the very same things. ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and from to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.’ (Amos 8:11-12) Oh my people, back then Israel suffered from a famine of the heart, a lack of God’s words to guide them, just like we are suffering from the same malady today!
It’s the same way that Bruh Paul warned Timothy. ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (money lovers), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal), despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady (reckless), highminded (haughty), lovers of pleasures more (rather) than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-5)
Ah my fellow saints, unless you are living on a different planet, you will undoubtedly see the wisdom of Bruh Paul’s words, for those negative things are rather prevalent in our world today. And there’s only ONE way to combat them; that’s sincerely seeking the wisdom the revelation of God’s Word, and putting it into practice. And to help us do that we need to go to God for His divine help, since we can’t do it on our own. And there’s no better time than on this New Year’s Day, the first day of 2024, to go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking God’s face and His help.
Altogether now: ‘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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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!’
And the moral of the story is that if we turn from our evil ways, the Lord will prosper us. So let’s enjoy the day, but remember to keep God first place in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Much LOVE!
…the Lord will prosper us…in direct proportion to our obedience…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
18 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving and gracious God, alleviate our many problems, as the day follows the night, batter down the enemy, come sunshine or rain, difficult to get over the loss of a child, divine help, fighting tooth and nail, for God made me forget all my toil, God hath caused me to be fruitful, God's people rise up and fight as one, humanitarian age, humble ourselves and pray, in all the land of Egypt there was bread, in the land of my affliction, Jehovah Rapha, Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt, Joseph's youngest brother Benjamin, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, mass confusion in our world, Monday follows sunday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peradventure mischief befall him, Satan's evil empire, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, that we may live and not die, the best method of defence is attack, the famine was so sore in all lands, the God who heals, the seven years of famine, the sunshine the rain, these times of plenty, turn from our evil ways, unite as one, wise guidance
Genesis 42:3. And Joseph’s ten brethren (brothers) went down to buy corn (grain) in Egypt.
And as the day follows the night, and the sunshine the rain, likewise Monday follows Sunday, come rain or shine! (smile) Yes friends, that’s just the way it is, how the universe was set up by its Creator, Almighty God. And try as hard as we might, we won’t change it, one day will always follow the next like clockwork. It therefore behooves us to just try and make the best of those days called Mondays. With the Lord’s help, prepare to meet them head on, don’t try to run away from them, for remember, the best method of defence is attack!
So, with those words of wisdom for this Monday morning, let’s get back to the riveting story of Bruh Joseph in Egypt. We last saw him in the seven years of abundance, during which time the Lord blessed him with two sons by his Egyptian wife Asenath; the first he called Manasseh, ‘for God, said he hath made me forget all my toil, and all my Father’s house.’ (Gen. 41:51) In other words, the hardship brought upon him by his envious brothers was a thing of the past. And the second son, he named Ephraim, ‘For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (Gen. 41:52)
Now, it’s time to move on to the drama of the seven years of famine. And the Bible informs us thus: ‘And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth (famine) began to come, as Joseph had said: and the dearth (famine) was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharoah for bread: and Pharoah said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph, what he saith to you, do.
And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore (became severe) in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn (grain); because the famine was so sore (severe) in all lands.’ (Gen. 41:53-57)
And yuh know what friends, right now there is severe famine in many countries, in many parts of the earth, but the sad part is that those experiencing the famine either have no means, that’s money or transportation, to go and buy food elsewhere, assuming that other countries would even sell it to them. Yes, even in this supposed humanitarian age, and these times of plenty, way too many people around the globe are starving for food and the other basic necessities of life; clothing and shelter.
But then, all the natural disasters that have recently struck our world; forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes, pandemics, just to name a few, are only making life increasingly difficult for all of us to handle. And that’s why we so badly need a LOVE REVOLUTION: a powerful uprising of LOVE for God and each other, under the compassionate and protective umbrella of the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For that’s the only way we will ever break ourselves out of the total mess, the strife, the resentment, hatred, anger and ungodliness in which we’re currently mired.
Unfortunately though, the soldiers of Satan’s evil empire are fighting us tooth and nail to prevent the LOVE REVOLUTION from being successful. And the only way to counter that is by increasing our godly ardour and valiantly fighting back safely clothed in the full armour of God. So, since we know what to do, let’s get together and do it nuh! Let’s unite as one and batter down the enemy, for it’s what our Lord and Leader, Jesus Christ expects of us. And all God’s people said a loud and positive ‘Amen! So be it!’
Now, let’s get back to that famous famine where Bruh Joseph was the man controlling the food. And this is where the drama really gets ramped up. The Good Library records: ‘Now when Jacob saw that there was corn (grain) in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn (grain) in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren (brothers) went down to buy corn (grain) in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief (some calamity) befall him.’ (Gen. 42:1-4)
Ah mih people, yuh see how difficult it is, if not impossible, to get over the loss of a child, especially a favoured one. It’s obvious that Jacob was still thinking, some twenty years later, about what had happened to his other young son Joseph, and was afraid to let Benjamin, the child of his old age out of his sight. But what Jacob and the rest of us consistently fail to remember is that the life of mankind is strictly controlled by the greatest dramatist and planner in existence, that’s the Lord God Jehovah! And having made that oh so true statement, let’s take this precious opportunity to go to Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for divine help with our many earthly problems.
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. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but 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.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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!’
And since we’ve just said, that to get divine help, we need to humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek God’s face, let’s do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…Satan can be defeated…but only if God’s people rise up and fight as ONE…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
17 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive to tell the tale, an hireling, anxiety, confusion, divine help, enter the pearly gates of heaven, eternal damnation, Friday chant, have it more abundantly, his satanic majesty, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I am the way the truth and the life, I know my sheep and are known of mine, if any man enter in he shall be saved, introduce a new flock of believers, LOVE Revolution, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, other sheep I have, return backsliders to your fold, salvation to Gentiles, simmering unrest, sinful world, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the exciting news of Jesus' gospel, the fires of hell, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the hireling cares not for the sheep, the majestic domain of God, the thief cometh but to steal, them also I must bring, there shall be one fold and one shepherd, they shall hear my voice, trusting faith, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, which are not of this fold
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t Friday, the last day of our work week! And a bright and sunshiny one at that, somewhat chilly though, with a small amount of white stuff covering the lawns and rooftops, but I believe it’s the result of a li’l sleet and some freezing rain, no real snow concerns. Anyway, it’s being said all over the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And the best part of it all is that we’re still alive to tell the tale. Glory be!
And what a glorious, momentous, light-bearing, soul-saving tale we have to tell: the story of Jesus and the good and exciting news of His gospel! The ONLY way to escape the damnation of hell fire and access the glory of heaven! What an enormous, ground-breaking truth He shared with us, when He proclaimed to the disciples: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And we better had believe that momentous statement yes, because it’s the glorious truth! It’s only through belief and faith in Christ Jesus that any of us natural sinners can ever enter the pearly gates of heaven and behold the majestic domain of our great and wonderful God! And if you don’t believe that, then try this scripture, when Jesus puts it in the allegoric form of being a shepherd.
‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but (except) to steal, and to kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10)
Mama oh Mama! What a joy it is to hear that scripture! Jesus came that we could have life, and have it more abundantly! Wow! So why are so many of us against Him eh? Don’t we want life, and abundant life at that too, meaning eternal and everlasting life, life that never ends? Well, if we truly do, then it’s ONLY in Jesus we’ll ever find it!
And here’s one of the things I LOVE about Jesus. When He makes a point, He delivers it with full force, He doesn’t back away and give a half-hearted explanation. Listen to how He continues with the shepherd allegory. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that’s exactly what He did for us; sacrificing Himself on the cross on that first Good Friday so that the sheep in His fold could be saved, be reconciled back to the Father and have eternal life! Showing that He’s a man who keeps His promises regardless of how difficult they are to keep!
That wasn’t the end of Jesus’ discourse on the shepherd allegory though. He continues: ‘But he that is an hireling (hired man), and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ (John 10:12-15)
Yes friends, Jesus knows His sheep, cares for them like the shepherd does and He died for them to show how much He truly cared. So, I don’t know why we question His intentions and don’t believe His actions. A lot of other people have come, and are still coming, and talked a lot, but He was the ONLY ONE who put His words into action!
And if you don’t believe Him, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe, you’re S.O.L when you die and your destination is realized. For ONLY when you believe in Him and hold Him true, that you will get a chance to talk to Peter at the Pearly Gates. Otherwise, you’ll be greeting his Satanic majesty at entrance to the fires of hell, with eternal damnation and separation from God your lot.
Now my people, this next verse in Jesus’ shepherd discourse is possibly the most important verse in the whole Bible for non-Jewish persons. Why you ask? Listen up first, then we’ll discuss it. Jesus states: ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:16) And all Gentiles gave a loud, rousing and grateful cheer of ‘Thank You Jesus!’
That’s because Jesus was sent to the Jews, the Chosen People, to be their Messiah, but being the generous and ever-LOVING God that He is, He also extended His window of salvation to Gentiles, those outside of the Jewish faith. And that’s why we can now talk headily about Jesus, and glory in the salvation, grace, and all those other wonderful things of which He is the author and finisher!
But having said all of that my brethren, the sad fact is that our world is in a serious mess, at the brink of a precipice, drowning in the mire of evil, and we need God’s help to save it. And we communicate with our heavenly Father through prayer, so please let’s go to Him in prayer right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, sincerely seeking divine help.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Oh friends, there’s no better time than right now, to renew our efforts in the LOVE Revolution, so that our world can be saved from eternal damnation. But it all depends on us, pulling together as one, and doing our part for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…the truth is…Jesus can’t do it without us…and we can’t do it without Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
28 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be of good cheer, for with what judgement ye judge, grin and bear it, how to abound, how to be abased, I have learned, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, in whatsoever state I am, judge not, lazy day Saturday, let go of things that don't bring happiness, let not your heart be troubled, Life is not perfect, LOVE Revolution, Love the Lord thy God, Love thy neighbour as thyself, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Not that I speak in respect of want, only one way to get true peace, Peace i leave with you, snow in the forecast, social media, thankful for what I have, the Prince of Peace, therewith to be content, w ith all thy heart soul and mind, ye shall be judged
Philippians 4:11. Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
So, it’s our lazy day Saturday, but unfortunately I couldn’t stay in bed and be lazy like I desired, because I was just fresh like a daisy, rearing to go. (smile) Imagine that nuh! And what was I so excited to get up and see? Another cold and cloudy day with snow in the forecast.
Well, if we are expecting more of the white stuff, and we still have plenty left over from the last bout, then apparently winter has finally reached my area. But that’s what we are all about at this time of year anyway, so we just have to grin and bear whatever comes our way. Therefore, let’s get our act together, and, as we do on Saturdays, check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And this first one is rather interesting. It says: ‘I am letting go of things that don’t bring me happiness or peace.’ Wow! What a novel idea! (smile) And it would be ever so good if many of us in today’s busy and pressure-filled society would do that; just let go of the things that don’t bring us peace or happiness. And some of us might have to let go of a lot of things because we have so many things in our lives that are not bringing peace or happiness to our blighted souls.
But the truth be known, there is ONLY ONE WAY to get true peace on this sinful and fallen earth, that’s by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. And why is that? Well because He is the Prince of Peace and His peace is far different than what the world offers. Listen to Him tell it: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Glory Hallelujah my faithful brethren! What an awesome promise! And if you still don’t believe that Christ can bring you peace amidst the world’s troubles, then listen to this other affirmation of His. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And that ought to sober us up and stop our flagrant, wasteful worrying because it’s the undeniable truth!
Then there’s this quote: ‘My life isn’t perfect, but I am thankful for what I have.’ Now that’s the declaration (yesss!!!) of a mature believer! One who has peace in Christ and knows that life isn’t perfect, in fact it will never be perfect, but they are nonetheless thankful for whatever they have.
Like Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengetheneth me.’ (Phil. 4:11-13) There again friends, it’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who strengthens us and allows and helps us to endure whatever circumstance we encounter, and to do so with a thankful spirit. Isn’t He just great! He surely is!
That brings us to this next quote: ‘No matter how good you are, people will judge you according to their mood and needs.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Especially in today’s selfish and fraudulent society! It’s sad, but people are so needy and unstable, more so since almost three years of the Covid pandemic, that they are liable to turn on you for no good reason, on a whim and fancy, although you are doing your best to help them.
So that’s the unfortunate state to which our society has fallen. It’s every man for himself, regardless of what that selfishness and greed causes. And in getting there, through the revered auspices of the social media, we’ve become a rather judgemental society. Yes, it’s now the custom for us to expound on matters that we know absolutely nothing about. And the sad part is that through the social media we can do that anonymously, without being taken to task for our atrocious behaviour and comments.
But that’s the new world we live in. Jesus’ admonition on the subject has now been completely thrown out the window. Do we even remember that He said: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) But too many people are getting away with unfair judgement because of the anonymity provided by social media.
However, as the old people would say, we all get our comeuppance at some time in some way. The Lord is a just God and He will judge rightly and justly. And because of all the above, we come to this last unwise quote. ‘LOVE yourself first and everything else falls into line.’ Now that’s not what Jesus teaches, but with the sorry state of our world, you really can’t blame people if they behave thus. It takes a strong, confident and mature believer to put others before themselves.
And how does Jesus desire us to live? He says: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) That means we ought to LOVE God, ourselves and our neighbours with all of our being. It’s of supreme importance in our faith walk.
One of the many problems we face though is that too many of us don’t LOVE ourselves, and that’s not meaning in a narcissistic, vain or self-absorbed manner, but just genuinely caring for and liking ourself. When we look in the mirror, we must see someone whom we like, someone whose company we don’t mind being in, someone we’re willing to treat kindly. But until we can do that for ourselves, we’ll never be able to like our neighbours, because you can’t give away what you don’t have. So today, I’m pleading with us to get serious about LOVING God and ourselves, so that we can LOVE our neighbors and bring about the kind of world that Jesus desires. Much LOVE!
…in a world filled with hate and evil…only true LOVE and goodness…can make an appreciable difference…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frail and finite man, a time to dance, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to weep, Beauty for Ashes, concentrate on righteousness, crowd out the glad tomorrows, destroy the wicked, endure to the end, girded me with gladness, glad to be alive, hands on the plough, honest determination, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my glory may sing praise to thee, not a one way street, not be silent, not looking back, not putting our best foot forward, patient and long-suffering God, put off my sackcloth, rekindle the charred embers, renege on my promises, renew my broken vows, Renewed Commitment, retract the impetuous words, save the righteous, second chances, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the garment of praise, the joy of beginning again, the oil of joy for mourning, the painful memories of my yesterdays, the spirit of heaviness, to a glorious future with Jesus, to the end, trees of righteousness, turned my mourning into dancing, under the weather, Wednesday Wail, witness for Christ
Psalm 30:11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.
Ah friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella was somewhat under the weather this morning and didn’t have the parts to get up and write earlier. (smile) So, we will endeavour to keep it short and sweet. Hn! Hn! Please remember though, I’m not God, only a frail and finite man, so sometimes I might renege on my promises.
Anyway, let’s check out this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that’s most appropriate for this new year of 2023. It’s titled” ‘Renewed Commitment,’ that’s to Jehovah God, something all of us need to seriously look into, because as the body or church of Christ, we are not putting our best foot forward on His behalf.
So please read with me: ‘Forgive me, dear Lord For too often Letting the painful memories Of my yesterdays Crowd out the glad tomorrows You graciously offer me. I know I cannot rekindle The charred embers Of the past year. I cannot erase the blunders Made so impulsively Nor can I regain the opportunities That are forever lost. I cannot retract the impetuous words I wish I had not spoken Or replace the shallow choices I should not have made. But I Can open my wayward heart To Your cleansing power. With honest determination I Can renew my broken vows. And I Can begin to praise You This very day For the joy of beginning again.’
Oh my people, doesn’t that sound like so many of us this past year? Of course!. But as the poem says, we CAN renew our broken vows to God and begin worshipping and praising Him this very day, for the joy of beginning again. And isn’t that one of the majestic mercies of our great God; the ability to extend second chances…even third fourth and fifth ones! That’s what is so amazing about Him; despite our rebellious nature and wayward ways, He always takes us back, whenever we come running back to Him.
Forgiveness, based on His unconditional and everlasting LOVE for us, His most important creation is just a natural aspect of His Being. Once He judges us to be sincere, He will forgive. But we must not attempt to take advantage of His wonderful grace and mercies by overdoing our rebelliousness, for though He is patient and longsuffering, He will not put up with our foolishness for ever. You just have to look at what He made His chosen people, Israel go through for their stubborn and continuous disobedience.
So, let’s remember that our God is a most wonderful and forgiving Deity, but He’s no pushover, as He’s always promised, in His time, He will destroy the wicked, but save the righteous. That means we’ve got to concentrate on righteousness this new year of 2023. And we don’t have a lot of time to do it, because the first month of January is almost over.
But enough with the conviction (smile) let’s turn to the Bible Promise on which our poem was based. It comes from Psalm 30, and says: ‘Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.’ (Ps. 30:11)
That brings to mind a couple of other scriptures on the subject of mourning and dancing. First up are these true words of Cousin Sol writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, where he reasons that there’s a season for every thing, including: ‘a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.’ (Eccl. 3:4)
Then the prophet Isaiah, in declaring (yesss!!!) the acceptable year of the Lord to his people Israel said: ‘To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:2-3)
Now that’s the main reason the Lord made us: to glorify Him! And those are the things He desires to give to us, ‘beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness:’ things that so many of us are not enjoying because of our rebellious and unrighteous ways. We cannot be the ‘trees of righteousness’ the Lord desires us to be called if we are not in sync and harmony with Him.
And this is the reason the psalmist gives for the Lord turning his mourning into dancing and girding him with gladness instead of sackcloth: ‘To the end that my glory (soul) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’ (Ps. 30:12)
And that’s exactly what Christ desires of us, His supposed followers; to not be silent, as so many of us are, for whatever reasons. And also to sing His praises to ALL the world for as long as we live! And I’m sincerely pleading with us that this is the year we must turn things around in Christ’s favour; let His name, His LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness explode all over the planet and cause a magnificent revival of His LOVE Revolution!
Wow! That’s our goal for this year, couldn’t have a better one. And so, for all of us in agreement with that, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, informing all and sundry of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And for added encouragement, let’s remember that if we endure to the end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please allow that to boost our faith, enthusiasm and witness for Christ! Much LOVE!
…to be in successful partnership with God…we must also do our part…it’s not a one way street…
P.S. Glory be! I did keep my promise and made it shorter…a li’l bit. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
24 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joyful mother of children, all other ground is sinking sand, all praise and glory to our Redeemer, ask in faith nothing wavering, ask of God that giveth liberally, begin each day with a word of thanks, build our lives on the rock that's Christ, children are an heritage of the Lord, driven with the wind and tossed, except the Lord build the house, happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, he maketh the barren woman to keep house, he that keepeth thee shall neither slumber nor sleep, he that wavereth is like a wave, hurry, I am the beloved of god, if any of you lack wisdom, in Christ the solid rock we stand, in god's eyes, LOVE Revolution, my help cometh from the Lord, share His love with my neighbours, spend time with God every day, the antidote for instability is Jehovah God, the fruit of the womb is his reward, the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, they labour in vain that build it, they shall not be ashamed, they shall speak with the enemies in the gate, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, without reproach, worry
Psalm 127:1a. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
And after a somewhat wet and slippery Monday, Tuesday has turned out be of a somewhat indeterminate character; a weak sunshine with cloud cover. My computer terms it haze. (smile) But however it finally turns out, it will be okay once we have Jesus first and foremost in our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. All praise and glory to our wonderful Redeemer!
Hope we have all been in touch with Him already for the day, asking for His faithful help and guidance through the rough waters of our lives. Please remember my fellow believers that it’s essential, of the utmost importance to begin each and every day with a word of thanks, praise and gratitude to our most worthy Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, if we expect to receive His awesome help on our daily journey. The length of time we spend with Him is not as important as the fact that we do spend time with Him every morning we open our eyes to a new day.
And as I was just skimming through the Good Library, I came upon this critical verse of scripture re labouring in vain, which I believe is ever so appropriate for these evil and ungodly times on the earth. We all know it, but don’t pay much, or sufficient attention to it. It comes from Psalm 127, A song of degrees for (of) Solomon. And it so rightly says: ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (stays awake in vain). It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.’ (Ps. 127:1-2)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! Unless we have God in our plans, they will not work the way we want them to. That’s further borne out by these apt words from Psalm 121: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (to slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve (keep) thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep safe) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 121: 1-8)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of overall protection we get when we involve the Lord God Jehovah in our affairs! But turning back to Psalm 127, the psalmist continues to speak of our futility without God in our daily lives. He says: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.’ (Ps. 127:3)
Oh, they certainly are! As Jacob said to his estranged brother Esau when they finally ended their estrangement. ‘And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he (Esau) lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he (Jacob) said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.’ (Gen. 33: 4-5)
Now, that’s how we ought to appreciate the children we are granted by God, because there are so many people, right now, and also down through the ages who desperately desired children but could not have any. However, we see how the Lord blessed barren women like, Sarah -Isaac’s mother in her old age (90), (Gen. 21) likewise Hannah – Samuel’s mother when she prayed fervently for a child, (1 Sam.1) and Elizabeth – the mother of John the Baptist, who had been barren for many years. (Luke 1:36) As Psalm 113 tells us: ‘He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps. 113:9)
Oh, isn’t our God wonderful! He certainly is! Then the psalmist goes on to explain God’s reward through children. ‘As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (a warrior); so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127:4-5) Mama Mia! That’s the blessedness of having children my fellow believers!
And I like how the scholars explain Psalm 127. They say: ‘The principle of this psalm is that all human efforts are in vain unless they have God’s blessing. This principle is applied to 4 areas: building a house (vs. 1a), guarding a city (vs. 1b), working long hours (vs. 2), and having children (vs 3-5). It is possible to accomplish all of these things without God’s blessing, but it is not possible to accomplish them purposefully and with eternal value without God’s blessing. The psalm includes, incidentally, two practical reasons for having children: they bring you joy, and they protect you (vs. 5).’
Ah friends, it’s so foolish to try and live this earthly, unknown, anything can happen at any time life without God’s grace and mercy surrounding us. That’s the wisdom of living life; doing it with God, and according to James that’s entirely possible: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
Unfortunately though, in this ungodly society, many of us are seeking wisdom in the wrong places, and are also big doubters, jumping from one newfangled idea to another, like a bee flits from one flower to the other. There is absolutely no stability in our society right now, as everything seems to be in a state of flux, that’s constant change and drifting without real purpose. And the only antidote for that kind of life, the only stable foundation in this world is Jehovah God, through His Son Jesus Christ.
Please let’s remember that my fellow saints, as we go about our daily lives, and please let’s make sure that we build those lives on the rock that’s Christ Jesus, so that we can have true stability regardless of what happens in our lives and the world. Now, for those of us trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (steups!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
Altogether: ‘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!’
That means we must now go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with those we meet, so that they can come to truly know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…in Christ…the solid rock we stand…all other ground…is simply sinking sand…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
Today’s Scrip-Bit 24 January 2023 Psalm 127:1a.
10 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a modicum of circumspection, a positive outlook on life, abundance, be kindly affectioned one to another, be not overcome of evil, bring others to Christ, brotherly LOVE, creativity, cry himself but not be heard, curse, do unto others as you want them to do to you, fervent in spirit, forgive every one their trespasses, have life more abundantly, he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man, he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich, in honour preferring one another, life is like a boomerang, love not sleep lest thou come to poverty, LOVE Revolution, negative word, not slothful in business, open thine eyes, overcome evil with good, recompense to no man evil for evil, self-control, serving the Lord, talent, Thanks be to God, the Big Library, the cry of the poor, the motto of heaven, thou shalt be satisfied with bread, Thursday Blessings, we reap what we sow, whoso stoppeth his ears
Proverbs 21:13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
And then it was Thursday! Another glorious day in the life! Thanks be to God! Ah friends, I wonder if most of us realize how blessed and privileged we are to be seeing another day on God’s great earth eh? Yes, we certainly are, since many others did not get that same blessed privilege and we can read their names in the obits. And I’m sure that many of them expected and wanted to awaken this bright sunshiny autumn morn, but unfortunately didn’t. That’s why it’s ever so important to enjoy each and every day that we see the light of God shining through the darkness.
Now I’m chuckling here as I just opened the Big Library, for the Bible is not simply a Book, but a Library with numerous Books in it. So, I just opened the Library and it opened unto a very interesting and most appropriate word of advice from Cousin Sol. He wisely advises: ‘LOVE not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.’ (Prov. 20:13) And is that ever the gospel truth my people! However you want to take it, literally or metaphorically, too much sleep will eventually bring us despair. But if we get up and get, follow the Lord’s will for our lives, then we will be blessed with untold prosperity.
Remember Jesus said that He came to die for us that we could have life, and have it so abundantly till it overflows. Well, we can’t get that abundant life by just sitting on our fannies, enjoying our past laurels, expecting it to just happen on its own. No, we have to do something useful in Jesus’ name to get that abundant life.
And Bruh Paul corroborates Cousin Sol’s words when he tells the Romans: ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another. Not slothful in business (lagging in diligence); fervent (boiling over) in spirit, serving the Lord.’ (Rom. 12:10-11) Yes friends, that’s the kind of attitude and behaviour we ought to display if we’re true believers in Christ Jesus!
And by the way, here’s another wonderful tidbit from Cousin Sol. ‘He that LOVETH pleasure shall be a poor man: he that LOVETH wine and oil shall not be rich.’ (Prov. 21:17) So that’s another no-no in the search for the abundant life. Nothing’s wrong with pleasure, wine and oil in moderation, for they are all a reward for our labour, but to focus steadfastly and only on them is a definite disaster waiting to happen. And we all know people, even believers who have fallen into that trap of the devil and are shaking it rather rough.
Now, the sad and unfortunate thing about our failures and mistakes is that they don’t affect just us, the individual, but it flows right through our families, friends, and associates. They all are affected in some manner by our wrong choices and unwise behaviour. That means it’s ever so important that we be very careful about our lifestyles, and live them as Jeeves was won’t to say, ‘with a modicum of circumspection.’ (smile) And that brings us to this next tidbit I just espied in Cousin Sol’s works. (smile) He says: ‘Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.’ (Prov. 21:13)
Oh my people, that’s the motto of heaven itself! In other words, we reap what we sow! And Jesus said it this way: ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) Yes friends, life is like a boomerang; whatever you send out, good or bad, it comes rocketing back to you eventually.
But, unfortunately, many of us don’t take that basic concept into consideration when we look for revenge or try to do wrong to someone else. That’s why Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome. ‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (have regard for good things)…Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17, 21)
Now my brethren, if we are as wise as we ought to be (smile) that should touch our very hearts and souls and wake us up to the reality of the evil and wrongdoing that’s so pervasive in many of our lives and the world in general. Remember the portrait Jesus painted in Matthew 18 when He spoke of forgiveness, with the servant who owed his master a lot of money but could not repay it, so he begged the master for mercy and the master granted him a complete withdrawal of all debt.
However, the same servant who was shown such incredible mercy responded by locking up a fellow servant who owed him a pittance. His fellow servants brought the matter to his master’s attention. And the master wailed on the unforgiving servant: ‘O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst (begged) me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had on thee? And his lord was wroth (angry), and delivered him to the tormentors (torturers), till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.’ (Matt. 18:32-35)
Unfortunately though, forgiveness is not a big thing in our world these days, but the truth of the Golden Rule has always been with us, and will always be. Listen to how Jesus says it nuh. ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 7:12) And oh, if we would only live by that rule even a li’l more than we’re currently doing, our world would be such a wonderful place!
Anyway, it’s Thursday and the Lord has given us tools to try and bring those wise and godly attributes to our fellow man, tools we call our Thursday Blessings. However, they have to be declared (steups!!!) out loud for them to be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh, in strong and sincere voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, let’s go out and use those tools to bring others to Christ, or at least to teach them to forgive and do unto others as they wish others to do unto them! That’s the least we can do. Much LOVE!
…why do we always seek forgiveness and goodness…but are so reluctant to grant them…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
29 Mar 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a joy and pleasure to live for Jesus, according to the riches of his glory, be of good cheer, born to manifest the Glory of God, but the darkness comprehendeth it not, fear not, glorify your Father which is in heaven, God will provide all our needs, have seen a great light, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I can trust my friend Jesus, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, lest darkness come upon you, let not your heart be troubled, Let your light so shine before men, liberated from our fear, LOVE Revolution, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, our presence automatically liberates others, Peace i leave with you, playing small doesn't serve the world, shall have the light of life, share His love with the world, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the day-spring from on high, the light shineth in the darkness, the people that walked in darkness, they may see your good works, they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, this is the day the Lord has made, to guide our feet in the way of peace, Tuesday Mantra, upon them hath the light shined, walk while ye have the light, we can do all things though Christ who strengthens us, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Ye are the light of the world, you are a child of God
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Oh friends, it’s a bright sunshiny morning in my neighbourhood! This Tuesday morning in early spring, there’s nary a dark cloud in the sky! It’s so bright that I had to put on my dark glasses as I went to put out the garbage just now, else it would have blinded me! (smile) And it doesn’t even feel as cold as it did yesterday afternoon when I went out to the mailbox!
Wow! That gives us the reassurance to confidently acclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! And don’t forget that something good is going to happen to us today, and something good is also going to happen through us today! That’s because we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us! And furthermore, our great and wonderful God will provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Mama Yo! That’s why it’s such a joy and a pleasure to live for Jesus. No one else provides the benefits and faithful promises that He does. That’s why He reassures in His word: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) And don’t forget this other magnificent upliftment for our souls: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 6:33)
And that’s the gospel truth, because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has indeed overcome the world by dying and rising from the dead, thus defeating hell, death, Satan and the grave! Glory Hallelujah! What a wonderful warrior is our Jesus! That’s why one of His favourite terms and words of advice while here on earth was ‘Fear not!’ But we still fear, despite all His entreaties and reassurances.
And truthfully, we can’t ever stop fear from coming upon or against us, but we can certainly stop it from consuming us. This morning though, I want to share a poem on that malicious word ‘fear’ that I found stuck up on the bedroom wall of my young daughter. There’s no title attached to it, so we’ll just call it ‘FEAR!’ I am sure that I’ve shared it before, but in these fearful and turbulent times, it’s certainly worth hearing again.
So please read with me: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
Ah mih people, I couldn’t put it any better! And there’s a lot of truth in that poem, because many of us fear to open up ourselves not wanting to overshadow those around us. But that’s not supposed to be a problem, since when we shine our lights, we give others the encouragement to rise up and shine theirs too. Why do you think Jesus made such a fuss over us being shining lights in this evil world? Because it’s of the utmost importance. We cannot be afraid of this dark and evil world or what it threatens to do to us, because the light of Jesus is greater than any darkness that’s in the world.
Remember John’s contention: ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (could not overcome it).’ (John 1:5) Yes friends light always opens up darkness, and the light of Jesus is the most powerful light in the world. Please remember the promise the Lord made through Isaiah, as he talks about the birth of the Prince of Peace. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2)
That light was Jesus. And that prophecy was considered fulfilled, as it’s recorded in Matt. 4:15-16, when Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum, along the sea coast of the afflicted regions of the northern tribal areas of Israel, like Zebulun and Naphtali which suffered greatly under the Assyrian invasion. Remember too, the prophecy of John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah at his birth, when he got back his speech. ‘Through the tender mercy of our God: whereby the day-spring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited (will visit) us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79)
And how can we ever forget Jesus’ great pronouncement to the Pharisees; and consequently to us, and to all the world: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And let’s not forget what Jesus said to the people when they questioned His words on His resurrection and ascension. (John 12:30-34) ‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children (become sons) of light.’ (John 12:35-36)
Now that’s what we ought to become when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour; the children, the sons of light, because Almighty God is the Father of light, and Jesus is His bright and shining star. But He can’t shine individually to everybody, that’s why He desires to use us, His supposed ambassadors, agents and followers. And that’s why He commanded us thus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket) but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
Jesus says it there loud and clear my people! If we are his followers, then our lights should be blazing forth to a dark and evil world, lighting it up like a Christmas tree! But unfortunately we are not doing that. Our lights are barely pouring forth, flickering like that which comes from a dying battery or a lamp low on oil, or a candle that’s at its end. And that is certainly not acceptable, not if we consider ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus! And sadly, we all know we can do better, but for whatever reason we refuse to make the effort it requires.
Please friends, for a moment, let’s consider the ‘sufferation’ Jesus bore so that we could be set free and forgiven of our sins nuh, and in a moment of shame, let our resolve rise up to be better purveyors of His light in this dark world. That’s the only remedy that will suffice for our poor showing. Now, for those of us who are already trying to shine our light, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and walk that talk; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE him like we do! Much LOVE!
…when our light shines forth…then peace, joy and LOVE…come to our world…
P.S. And yes, it’s long, but I think it’s very good; a good reawakening! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
22 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bowed their heads, cause lots of rejoicing in heaven, drive ole Satan mard, God is greatly to be feared, God's sure promises to David, having a good day, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in god's eyes, in spite of rough or unpleasant circumstances, life intrudes on you, lifting up their hands, LOVE Revolution, make the enemy stand up and take notice, money can't buy true love, mourn nor nor weep, no one can take that from me, rejoicing and being glad, Revival time is here again, rise up and cheer each other on, share His love with the world, sincere tears of repentance, something good is going to happen to and through me, soulless houses, sour demeanour, the ability to enjoy our day, the masterful and magical thing called hope, the power of the Holy spirit, their faces to the ground, this Christmas season, this day is holy unto the Lord your god, to be had in reverence, to make matters worse, Tuesday Mantra, uninterested in the spiritual life, what a task it is getting old, who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, worshipped the Lord
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Aye friends, why does life have to intrude on you eh? Chuh man! This morning I got up at a decent hour, did my chores, put out the garbage, then had a sip of water which choked me….Steups! And that set off a set of coughing, causing my asthma to act up. Brother! And yuh think the coughing would stop? No sir! All the puffers didn’t make a difference. So that now I have this wheezy chest and uncomfortable and sour demeanour. (smile)
And to make matters worse, some app on the bloody computer was so slow that I could not open anything else. Then my coffee got cold and I had to go back upstairs and warm it. Mama! And these days it seems like any li’l thing chokes me. What a task it is getting old oui! So please bear with the ole fella this morning, he’s shaking it somewhat on the rough side; life’s gotten to me. (smile)
But yuh know what? That isn’t going to stop me from having a good day, from rejoicing and being glad in it, and believe that something good is going to happen to and through me! Glory be mih bredrin! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit in us believers; it gives us the ability to enjoy our day in spite of rough or unpleasant circumstances.
That’s why in this Christmas season – only 3 more days to the Big Day – I will, and we should do like Ethan the Ezrahite says in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promise to David. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps. 89:1)
The sad part of that though is we have not sung of God’s mercies enough, or sufficiently made known His faithfulness to this current generation, that’s why they are so ungodly and uninterested in the spiritual life that’s oh so important for each of us, seeing that our physical body only lasts a short while, but the spiritual one lasts forever.
But then, there is that masterful and magical thing called hope; which as believers, we are full of, so this Christmas season, when we can’t gather as we want to, and when we are finally realizing how much we truly need each other, let us all rise up and cheer each other on nuh. Let us find some way to encourage the sick and suffering, the poor and lonely, even the rich and well to do, who sometimes are even lonelier than others, fortified in their big, soulless houses, with all their inanimate, useless money, that can’t buy true LOVE!
And let us do, as best we can, like the Israelites did after the prophet Ezra read the law for them. ‘And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.’ (Neh. 8:6)
Wow! What a great day that must have been in ole Israel eh? How I wish that we could have a day like that in our time. It would just drive ole Satan mard, but cause lots of rejoicing in heaven! Glory be! How many of you remember those Revival times of long ago eh? When the big tents were full of worshippers every night and God’s name was all over the place – Number One in the land! Not like now, when half of the people don’t even know who God is…or even care! Steups!
And furthermore, as Nehemiah, the Governor, Ezra, the priest and the scribes and Levites who explained the Good Book to the people of Israel on that momentous and memorable day said unto them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.’ (Neh. 8:9)
Oh how I long for an outpouring of sincere tears of repentance and understanding and knowledge and reverence on behalf of our great God! A true LOVE Revolution! It would make the enemy stand up and take serious notice, that the soldiers of Christ were on the move, bad and beautiful, and in no mood to be played with!
And these next words of Nehemiah to the people, are words that should also echo far and wide across our land today, like they did way back then in Israel. ‘Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
Oh my people, in these crazy and hard times of the pandemic and lack of work, food and money, it behooves those of us who have to share joyfully and generously with those who don’t have, especially in this Christmas season when we celebrate one of the greatest gifts ever given to mankind, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! We can do no better, give no better testimony to His wonderfulLOVEand grace, mercy and forgiveness, than sharing what He’s so magnanimously blessed us with!
Ah mih fellow saints, I’m chuckling here, hoping that what I’ve written makes sense, because the passion and excitement is flowing non-stop, though my chest is still wheezy. (smile) That is what happens when you all stir up the ole fella! And for good measure, let’s throw in these two wonderful verses of Ethan the Ezrahite, from Psalm 89. ‘For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had (held) in reverence of all them that are about him.’ (Ps. 89:6-7)
And for those of us who agree wholeheartedly with those words, and who do hold the Lord in reverence, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are! In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now, with the ingenuity of Jesus flowing in our veins, let’s go out, or even stay in, and share His awesomeLOVEand friendship this Christmas season, where joy and gratitude ought to abound!Much LOVE!
…can somebody shout…Revival time is here again…
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