17 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflicted hearts cling to each other, and the power of his resurrection, believers in Christ Jesus, companionship in sorrow, Danny Gokey, establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, Fernando Ortega, for the prize of the high calling in God, forgetting those things which are behind, give me Jesus, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, I only want Jesus, I press toward the mark, in the morning when I rise, it is the power of god unto salvation, LOVE, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, sacrificial praise, that I may know him, the calm in the storm, this one thing I do, thou shalt be His witness unto all men, well done thou good and faithful servant, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I wake up, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ, you can have all this world
Romans 8:35a. Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ?
A good Sunday morning to you my fellow believers in Christ Jesus! And am I ever so glad that you joined me for some praise, worship and thanksgiving on this the Lord’s Day. Now that is a must, as the Lord decreed to the Israelites when He handed down the Ten Commandments to them. Prominent amongst the directives was this: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ (Ex. 20:8) And that’s what we are endeavouring to do this Sabbath Day.
And as always, let’s begin with a song, a song of praise. Today’s song is a Contemporary Christian number ‘Give Me Jesus’ written by Fernando Ortega, but his version is too slow, (smile) whereas the live, more up-tempo version by Danny Gokey suits our purposes admirably. So let’s sing that song which shows how desperately we need Jesus, that it has us crying out to heaven for Him. And we better had be sincere, because He’s not only going to listen to our pleas and praise, but also check our hearts to see if what we’re singing is really true.
Therefore, in soulful harmony, let sacrificial praise flow from our hearts and mouths …and don’t forget the sweet background vocals from the choir, and the majestic sound of the orchestra, for those are what raise the song to a higher level. (smile) ‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus)
When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus. (Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. He’s all I need.
Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh… Just give me Jesus…’
Ah mih people, that was beautiful…and made even more so when the heavenly host joined us in offering sacrificial praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wow! What a magnificent person He is, when we call for Him in any and every situation. When we rise up, when we lie down, when we are alone, when we die… The only name we’re calling out is Jesus!
Bruh Paul learned that lesson the hard way when Jesus accosted him on the road to Damascus to persecute the believers. He tells the story thus: ‘And it came to pass, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh (near) unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.’ (Acts 22:6-8)
And we all know how he was blinded by the light of Jesus and had to be led to Damascus where the Lord commanded one Ananias, a devout believer to go and heal his blindness. And despite the Lord’s command, even Ananias was afraid to go and confront Saul, such was his reputation for persecuting the brethren. But he perked up his courage and went and confronted him and returned his sight. And it’s interesting to hear some of the words that Ananias said to him. ‘And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.’ (Acts 22: 14-15)
Two thousand years later, we are still relating that story, as Ananias promised. Bruh Paul also turned out to be a mighty witness for Christ, journeying all over the known world with the single-minded purpose of spreading the gospel, which seems to have been burned or branded into his psyche, into his soul and spirit. You can’t consider anything else when he says stuff like: ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
And later on in the letter to the church at Rome, he confidently proclaims: ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life; nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, not things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35, 38-39)
Can you imagine all that from a man who encouraged the demise of Christians, even supposedly stood by and watched them being killed? And he eventually became so engrossed in Christ that he considered all his earlier accomplishments of no account. ‘But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.’ (Phil. 3:7-8, 10)
Yes friends, Bruh Paul was very much into Christ. His zeal for Christ was amazing, more flaming that any of the other apostles. The scholars offer this explanation. ‘3:10. This verse may also be paraphrased: “In order that I may personally know Him, that I might both experience His resurrection power and share in His sufferings, and thus I will be more conformed to His death.” Paul wants “the righteousness…of God (vs.9) so that he can obtain a personal relationship with Jesus in actual day to day experiences. This knowledge of Christ is obtained by experiencing in daily problems, needs, ministry, and so forth, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
Knowing Christ also entails participating in His sufferings. Paul desires to share in the Lord’s sufferings because they bring him into a deeper and more meaningful relation with Him: companionship in sorrow establishes the most intimate and lasting of ties, as afflicted hearts cling to each other. The result of participating in Christ’s sufferings is that Paul is being made like Him in death. The word “death” has a double meaning here, including inward and outward, ethical and physical death. As Jesus died in regard to sin on the cross, so Paul is doing more and more in his daily life. As Jesus was bodily slain, so the apostle, should Caesar’s verdict go against him, is prepared to be slain.’
Awright, that was long, but I thought it necessary for us to get a better understanding of the scripture and Bruh Paul’s desires. Now we don’t need to become that zealous, though we must remember that suffering is a part of the Christian’s lot. But we do need to heed what he says later on: ‘this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 3:13-14)
Oh my fellow saints, we do need to put all our past glory and credentials aside and move forward to new ground, that of knowing Christ deeper with each passing day, so when we get to heaven, we will be greeted by Jesus with ‘Well done, oh thou good and faithful servant!’ Much LOVE!
…you can’t really know and appreciate Christ…without undergoing some pain and suffering…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
15 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, as a means of restoring faith in you, bring backsliders back to your fold, calamity adversity tribulation, Covid 19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, faithful behaviour, faithful believers, festoon me with your finest sayings, forgiveness, Friday chant, guide along the pathway of righteousness, have good success, I don't swerve an inch from your course, I inherited your book on living, I've committed myself, introduce a new flock, keep meditating on God's word, living in total sin, LOVE, meditate therein day and night, obedience to Christ is a must, omnipotent help, our much deserved lot, our sinful world, rid our society of God, right motives of our hearts, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sincere repentance, stand strong and steadfast, tempted by the wicked, the anxiety confusion and havoc, the devil's lie, the error of their ways, the light and love of Jesus, the perilous pathways of this evil world, the wicked try to throw me off track, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, this book of the law, throw a beam of light on my dark path, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to forego and forget God's word, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, wake up from our evil ways, wise gudance, you reap what you sow
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Well it’s certainly not as beautiful out there today, as it was yesterday. It’s cloudy and miserable with rain forecasted during the day, but as I always say, what a good thing we have Jesus to otherwise brighten up our day! For even when the skies are cloudy and gray, and the storms are pounding down on us, the light and LOVE of Jesus is always present within His followers to lead and guide them along the pathway of righteousness. No wonder the psalmist confidently and gratefully declared: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
Yes friends, obedience to Christ’s dictates is a must if we want to sincerely live for Him. But how do we know His dictates? By reading His Word which gives us wisdom and knowledge. That means His Word is a lamp to guide us through the perilous pathways of this evil and ungodly world. And I like how the bible.com website illustrates the message on verses 105 -112 of the Psalm. It says: ‘By your words I can see where I am going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word. Festoon me with your finest sayings, GOD; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say – I always have and always will.’
Now that could be an everyday prayer, because every day we are tempted by the wicked to forego and forget God’s word and the rules for righteous living found therein. But when we keep meditating on His word, it will guide our path like a light. Remember how the Lord had the cloud by day and fire by night when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light’ to go by day and night.’ (Ex. 13:21)
Oh saints of Christ, you can see from the beginning of time that the Lord has safely guided His people. He always does it. Back then He did it with the Israelites through a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, because they were just learning about the Lord and had no written material to turn to, but we now have his holy word in print, in a physical form that we can always turn to for good and wise guidance. And we ought to be continually in it if we want to stay true to God’s dictates, for that is its stated purpose.
Remember God’s admonition to Joshua? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Brother! The Lord’s point is so clear, as it always is! Meditate on my law and keep it, and you will be prosperous! What’s so hard to understand about that eh?
And we know from their history that when the Israelites did as God said, they prospered, and when they turned from Him, they fell on hard times, adversity swallowed them up. And the same thing is happening to us right now! We have turned away from the word of God and living in total sin, not reading or following His word. So what do we expect happen eh? Wine roses and song? Absolutely not! Calamity, adversity and tribulation is our much deserved lot, and that’s exactly what we are getting.
All through the Good Book we are warned about disobedience, and see example after example where disobedient societies fall prey to adversity and calamity. So why do we think that because we have supposedly reached a higher level of civilization that we are exempt from God’s everlasting law eh? We aren’t! In fact, much more is expected of us because we know and understand more than those who have gone before us. But we choose to continue in our disobedience and evil doings, even trying to completely rid our society of God, and yet expect to prosper for a long time.
That’s the devil’s lie, his favourite deception, for the word of God doesn’t change, and if He said way back when, obey me and you will be prosperous, then that command still stands today, and if we were smart, we would choose to do it wholeheartedly. And as always, Cousin Sol had his wise two cents worth to throw in, during his warning against adultery. He says: ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And if anybody should know about the law and its effects, it’s Cousin Sol, who went from being God’s shining star, in his early life, to the doghouse in his later days.
But the wonderful thing about our God is that when we wake up from our evil ways, we can always come back to Him through sincere prayer and true repentance. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, spilling out our problems in sincere repentance, asking for forgiveness and His wise help. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And please don’t forget that the Lord’s response to our entreaties will depend on our faithful behaviour and the right motives of our hearts. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…so you can’t sow sin and expect to reap righteousness…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a myriad of amazing fall colours, abundance, being his counselor hath taught him, Christ is number One, Christ's demise on the cross, comprehended the dust of the earth, courage, creativity, curse, forgiveness of sins, God is free from outside influence, God will exist forever, God's supernatural wisdom, I AM, I am come that they might have life, ignore his deceitful entreaties, in the hollow of his hand, Jesus - the cornerstone of our lives, Jesus doesn't play second fiddle, justification, LOVE, meted out heaven with the span, negative word, once powerful Lucifer, peace in the midst of the storm, prosper and succeed, reconciliation to God, righteousness., salvation, showed him the way of understanding, talent, taught him knowledge, the fire Jesus sets in our souls, the hills in a balance, the powerless Satan, the thief cometh but to steal, they might have it more abundantly, Thursday Blessings, unconditional LOVE, weighed the mountains in scales, who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, Who hath measured the waters, who taught him in the path of judgement
John 10:10b. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And is it ever a beautiful looking day out there today my people! Sunshine, blue skies, with the leaves on the trees displaying a myriad of amazing fall colours; red, green, yellow, gold, russet and numerous combinations of them all! It is indeed one of those days when we have to raise our heads, hearts, eyes and hands, and sincerely declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Yes friends, it’s one of those days that’s so beautiful, that despite our many problems, rejoicing comes naturally to our soul! Glory be!
And when we add the wonder of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all that, can you imagine the fire that’s set a burning in our spirits and souls! Wow! It’s what really makes life worth living! It’s the abundant life that Jesus spoke of when He said: ‘The thief cometh only but to for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
Oh my people, only with Jesus as the cornerstone, the foundation of our lives can we ever hope to attain and enjoy that abundant life which we all so desire. And the abundant life is not just one filled with good earthly things, but even more with wonderful spiritual and heavenly things, like salvation and forgiveness of sins, peace in the midst of the storm, unconditional LOVE, reconciliation to God the Father, justification through the Son and a transfer of His righteousness to us through His demise on the cross.
Now how can you ever desire or acquire a better life than that eh? No way! And that’s what Jesus’ brings to our lives when we put Him first in all our dealings. Not second or third, but a faraway first! He doesn’t play second fiddle in any band, that’s any life, but always first. And that’s where so many of us fall down; we try to relegate Christ to the least or less important positions in our lives, but still expect to enjoy the abundant life that He alone can provide. That’s utter foolishness friends!
For only when Christ is truly Number One in our lives, will the abundant life ever flow our way. It’s a built-in requirement of the Father, and who can say Him nay eh? None of us, since He’s the Creator and controller of our universe. And I believe it’s right and wise and proper (smile) that right here, in these turbulent and dangerous times, we should consider the words of the prophet Isaiah as he long ago spoke of the majesty of the Lord. Yes my brethren, it’s in serious times like these that we need to remember who our God really is, so please listen up to Isaiah, when he asks?
‘Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted (measured) out heaven with the span (9 inches), and comprehended (calculated) the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his councillor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgement (justice), and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of (in) a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance (in fine dust on balance): behold, he taketh (lifteth) up the isles as a very little thing.’ (Is. 40:12-15)
Oh my fellow believers, NO ONE assisted the Lord our God in creating the universe and all therein! He is the SOLE CREATOR AND RULER of the universe! And until we, mankind, His creation, wake up and realize that awesome fact, we will forever be holding the proverbial short and heifer dust end of the stick!
Listen to these explanations from the scholars re the Freedom of God. ‘40:13. God is the only Being in the universe that possesses independence from the Creation. The only limits to God’s freedom are in His own nature and attributes. He is unlimited in His existence. Because His existence relates to His nature rather than His will. God will exist forever. He who exists by reason of His nature rather than His volition (will, choice), must have existed – and must continue to exist – forever.
Illustration: When God revealed His name to Moses at the burning bush, He called himself “I AM” (Ex. 3:13-15). This name emphasizes God’s self-existence, the fact that He has always existed and always will. Application: Neither anyone nor any outside force will affect God’s relationship to us. He will deal with us according to His nature because He is free from outside influence. (First ref. Gen. 6;17; Primary ref. Is. 40:13; cf. Rom. 12:1).’
Yes faithful saints, NOTHING, or NO ONE, will or cannot influence our God, re His dealings with us, or anything else, for He is a law, or rather, the LAW unto Himself. And I don’t know what it will take for us to fully realize and appreciate that fact nuh, so that we can revere and be obedient to His dictates, and thus stay in His good graces.
And it’s not like we don’t have the example of the Archangel Lucifer trying to overthrow Him, but fought a losing battle and was unceremoniously kicked out of heaven with his foolish minions. So, I just can’t understand why we are allowing that once powerful Lucifer, who is now the powerless Satan, to turn us against our Creator, the same way he deceived our forefathers Adam and Eve. It’s totally non-understandable, non-comprehensible, in fact, totally foolish and stupid, since he has nothing better to offer us. All his glittering stuff is just that, glitter, with no gold! A façade, or frontispiece with no inside.
So please, let’s ignore his deceitful entreaties like the sickness and plague they are nuh. Instead, let’s look to our heavenly Father who in His LOVING-kindness, bestows numerous blessings on us to do His earthly work, which we refer to as our Thursday Blessings. And since a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared, let’s declare them in strong voice right now:
Altogether: ‘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 now that we have been so generously blessed, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, so that they can come to know and LOVE Jesus just like we have! Much LOVE!
…regardless of what the world says…the good and abundant life can ONLY be found…in Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, conquering the Promised Land, endure to the end, even in the biggest storm, God keeps a man busy, great peace have they which love thy law, I am halfway home, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Indian summer, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, length of days long life and peace, let not your heart be troubled, let thine heart keep my commandments, let your requests be made known unto God, light always wins against darkness, LOVE, make them stumble, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my peace I give unto you, my son forget not my law, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, nothing shall offend them, oodles of hardship, Peace i leave with you, shall they add to thee, the opening salvo, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace of Jesus quiets our hearts, the Prince of Peace, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trumpet the getting of peace, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee
Proverbs 3:1-2. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.
Oh friends, today doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as bright and sun shiny as the last two. Wednesday has opened somewhat dark and cloudy, but let’s hope that’s just the opening salvo of the battle and the sun will win out in the end, as light always does against darkness. (smile) The temps will be up in the low twenties again though.
I guess we are experiencing what’s known as ‘Indian Summer,’ a warmer than normal period which can crop up during the fall season. However, I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to use that name, since everybody is up in arms about using Indian names.
But that’s a conversation for another day. Right now we’re concerned about these marvellous words of advice from Cousin Sol as he exhorts us to obedience. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2)
Yes my people, Cousin Sol says a lot in those few words. Keeping the Lord’s commandments is key to several important things in our lives; length of days, long life and peace. Now all of us crave those things, but we can only come by them when we honour the Lord with obedience to His commandments.
And you ask what’s the difference between ‘length of days and long life?” One commentator puts it thus: “Length of days” puts more emphasis on how long someone lives, not just breathing, but in a productive fashion. Each day is put to full use and their number will be many, for God keeps a man busy.’
And it’s the same thing Moses said to the Israelites so long ago: ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do (be careful to observe), that ye may live, and multiply (increase in number), and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto (promised) your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1)
Yuh see friends, Israel’s conquering of the Promised Land depended on their keeping of the Lord’s commandments which they didn’t do, and thus wandered forty long and difficult years in the wilderness for that disobedience. Likewise, our disobedience, lack of keeping God’s commands today is causing us oodles of hardship and worry, because without Him in a most privileged position in our lives, we can’t find peace in times of trouble like we’re currently experiencing.
But let’s leave length of days and long life alone for the moment and concentrate on peace, which so many of us are dying to have. Let’s look at some scriptures that trumpet the getting and having of peace through obedience to the Lord’s commands. This first once comes from Psalm 119, and it says: ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law; and nothing shall offend them (make them to stumble).’ (Ps. 119:165) That’s as plain and simple as it can get my brethren.
And if that doesn’t touch the cockles of your heart, then listen to this scripture from Isaiah’s hymn of praise, where he confidently declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is. 26:3)
Now, if you think because those verses come from the Old Testament they are no longer viable, then hear these from Bruh Paul in the New Testament. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phill. 4:6-7)
So you see, if you want the peace of God, you have to stay in the good graces of God, through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, which simply means obeying His commandments as best you can. God’s peace will not be bestowed on us unless we sincerely honour Him in our walk of life.
And when yuh talking about scripture verses on peace, here is the quintessential one, the one that trumps them all, straight from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In His promise to send the Holy Spirit to comfort the disciples, He tells them: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Now that says it all my fellow saints! The peace that Jesus gives us is nothing like what the world gives. The peace from Jesus quiets our hearts, stills our fears and anxieties even in the midst of the biggest storm, storms like what we are now going through.
So, if you can’t find any peace in your spirit right now, I would take a look at your relationship to Jesus; see how close you are to Him, if you are studying His word, if you are keeping His commandments and what are you doing to further His kingdom. I can guarantee that if you have a close enough relationship with Him, or at least are sincerely trying, He will provide peace of mind.
But again, as Isaiah says trust is an essential factor. If you don’t trust God to keep His promises and live your life as though you truly do, then whatever else you do is a complete waste of time. And I do hope that today’s message raises up our desire for peace so badly, that we sincerely turn to Jesus to seek it.
Now for those of us who are already out there seeking it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful 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 as always, let us remember that if we endure until the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please hang in there my brethren! Much LOVE!
…if you’re seeking peace…then wisdom dictates…you seek it from…The Prince of Peace…Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a couple pounds heavier, a little folding of the hands to sleep, a truth based society, and share His love with the world, as one that travelleth (a prowler), busybodies, consider her ways and be wise, deliver thyself as a roe, depend on the Good Book, dire poverty, distractions on social media, fill the world with Jesus, from the hand of the fowler, from the hand of the hunter, gathereth her food in the harvest, gave much thanks for our many blessings, give not sleep to thine eyes, go to the ant thou sluggard, having no guide leader overseer, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, idle hands are the Devil's workshop, idleness, if any would not work, in god's eyes, keep up the attitude of thanksgiving, LOVE, lowering the temptation to celebrate, neither should he eat, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, provideth her meat in the summer, rear their ugly heads, sleep is one of the enemy's traps, slothfulness, slumber to thine eyelids, so shall thy poverty come, some which walk among you disorderly, Thanksgiving Day, the food was over the top, the habitually lazy person, the skies were blue, the sun shone brightly, thy want (need) as an armed man, to fill the world with love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, yet a little sleep
Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Well, it was indeed a beautiful Thanksgiving Day! The sun shone brightly for a change, and the skies were blue (smile) with temps in the mid to low twenties! Wow! We haven’t seen that type of day in my area for a while now. And I do hope that all of us gave much thanks for the many blessings we have in this blessed land. I know the celebrations were plentiful, what with the recent opening up of the lockdown conditions, and though my own celebration was fairly quiet, the food was over the top and unfortunately, I partook of it with a zest that I’ve not seen or experienced in recent times. (smile)
And since West Indian food, though nourishing and strengthening is also fattening, consequently I am a couple pounds heavier this morning. But what to do eh? When you celebrate and give thanks these things will happen. (smile) The problem now is to keep up the attitude of thanksgiving while lowering the temptation to the celebration aspect. Remember, we can never give too much thanks, but we can always overdo the celebration part, which can get us in serious trouble when laziness, idleness, slothfulness and their fellow companions rear their ugly heads.
Sadly though, a lot of that is now floating around in our current turbulent and unhinged society. That’s why right now is a good time to consider the marvellous advice of Cousin Sol from his writings in Proverbs, where he warns against laziness and falsehood. Please listen up closely to this wise and godly advice. ‘Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe (gazelle) from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler (the bird trapper).’ (Prov. 6:4-5)
Yes friends, we must not let the seeming beauty of sleep to capture us unawares, like a hunter captures a deer, or a fowler traps a bird in his snare. Sleep is necessary to reset our tired bodies and souls, but overdone, it can lead to very disastrous situations. And yuh better believe that sleep is one of the best traps the enemy uses to ensnare us and get us away from doing the Lord’s work. That’s why Cousin Sol in his advice directs us thus: ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:’ (Prov. 6:6)
And you ask, what’s he talking about eh? How can you learn wisdom from the ways of the ant? Well then, he explains it by saying that the ant: ‘Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov. 6:7-8) Now isn’t that a wonderful example of self-reliance and wisdom? It surely is! Then Cousin Sol goes on to ask these most pertinent questions. ‘How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?’ (Prov. 6:9)
Oh my people, those are questions that each of must seriously consider, especially in these dangerous and crazy times of sickness and dissatisfaction. And why is that you ask again? Cousin Sol also provides the answer to that question. ‘Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:10-11) Yes mih bredrin, that’s how laziness, idleness and slothfulness bring us to our knees without our realizing it. Working too hard is not good, but not working hard enough is even worse.
Now here are some explanations on the subject from the scholars. ‘6:6-11. The sluggard is the habitually lazy person. He is admonished to learn two important lessons from the ant: (1) the ant has no guide, overseer, or ruler (vs.7), meaning that the ant does not have to have a taskmaster standing over it to make it work; it is a self-starter. (2) The ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances (vs.8). Two questions about sleep are posed to the sluggard (vs.9). His answer is given in verse 10: “Just a little more sleep!” The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and as decisively as a robber (vs.11).’
And yuh better believe that our society currently seems overwhelmed with laziness, or always seeking the easy way out, or just looking at today and not tomorrow. But we must also prepare for the future, for the hereafter. And yes, not many of us want to work, but it’s wise if we do… and don’t consume everything all at once either, put aside something for the rainy day too. At least in earlier generations some of us had no choice whatsoever but to work, if we wanted to eat and a place to sleep.
That brings to mind Bruh Paul’s directive to the Thessalonians: ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-11) And there are many like that in our current society! Meanwhile, the scholars explain: ‘3:10-12. Paul expounds his simple and straightforward ethic. If a person will not work, he should not eat! The Thessalonians’ diversion encouraged their meddlesome ways, demonstrating that ‘idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.’
And is that ever the truth! We get into trouble most often when we are not doing anything, or anything productive. And that is exactly what’s happening right now in our society. Too many people have nothing constructive to do, so they are engaging in a whole lot of negative and evil devices and schemes. And with so much government and charitable help around, it would be hard to implement a scheme of no work, no bread. On top of that, there just are not enough jobs so that everyone can be gainfully employed.
So what do we do eh? The best we can. That’s working ourselves, showing forth the benefits of living for Jesus, and encouraging others to do something constructive, whatever it might be. Something that would benefit them and the society. Time to stop paying so much attention to the foolishness, lies and distractions on social media, and return to a fact and truth based society. That means depending on the Good Book, the Lord’s Word! It’s not an easy task, but if we work in concert with Jesus, we can certainly do it, because He gives us strength to do any and everything He needs us to do! Glory be!
Now for those of us who are willing and able to work for our Saviour, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, loudly and proudly proclaiming to the whole world, who and whose we are; in other words, to whom we belong! As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having said that, let’s go out now and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…to fill the world with peace and LOVE…we must fill the world with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burning desire to do things, a Christ-like difference, accept the things I cannot change, all great changes are preceded by chaos, bored with life, bring others to the knowledge of Christ, burning with passion, chaos, Christians step up and take control, climate change, divisive and strife filled, economic misfortune, elbow grease, evil and ungodly times, get understanding, get wisdom, getting out of hand, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, grant me the serenity, heavenly blessings, Jesus turned the world right side up, led by the Holy Spirit, LOVE, lust for dictatorial power, out of your comfort zone, poverty, racial differences, see a light at the end of the tunnel, see possibilities before they become obvious, sleeping in, step up to the plate, the church of Christ, the courage to change the things I can, the greed of the rich, the Serenity Prayer, the wisdom to know the difference, the world through him might be saved, when the dust settles, wisdom and understanding, wisdom is the principal thing, without hungering and thirsting after anything
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Oh, what a perfect Saturday morning for sleeping in, at least in my area! We are talking about dark skies on a fairly warm morning for this time of year, and a lulling, drizzle of heavenly blessings. But here I am up early, working. Chuh! That’s because I went to bed early this morning, that’s early by my standards. (smile)
Anyway, it’s no use griping about it now, because I’m already up and at ‘em. So, like we do every Saturday, let’s check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. I pray the Lord will give me the wisdom and understanding to do a good job on them, because it’s all for His glory.
This first one says: ‘All great changes are preceded by chaos.’ Now I don’t know if it’s absolutely true, but there is a fair amount of truth to it. Just look at all the great changes forced upon the world by the numerous wars and strife that’s happened down through the ages.
Look at what’s happening right now. Chaos is in our midst, with serious differences over the cause and effect of the Covid 19 pandemic, the strife that’s been injected over the vaccine, the lust for dictatorial power that’s currently running rampant, the greed of the rich, who are getting insanely richer while the world is beset by numerous natural and man-made disasters, poverty and economic misfortune, climate change, racial differences etc. etc. There’s no doubt that when the dust settles, our society will be significantly changed… but who knows how.
And let’s not forget the chaos and great changes made by the coming of our Lord and Saviour two thousand years ago. Jesus turned His then Jewish society upside down and the world right side up! Remember what He said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And the world has never been the same since He came…neither will it be, after He comes again! (smile)
The second quote tells us that: ‘If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don’t have enough goals.’ I don’t know about not having enough goals nuh, but rather of having the wrong goals. For if you even have one goal of sufficient interest and importance to you, then that will have you getting up every morning burning with passion to fulfill it. What’s the point of having goals that aren’t actively cultivating your interest? None whatsoever!
The problem with today’s society, why we are so easily bored, is that life’s just too easy for too many of us. There are so many amenities now that we can easily get by without hungering and thirsting after anything, so serious goal setting is not as important as it used to be back when things were harder.
A real goal is something that calls for elbow grease, for getting out of your comfort zone, that causes you to see a light at the far end of the tunnel and drives you towards it. But since so many of us are averse to working hard, or working at all, who wants to do that eh? Consequently, when we do set goals, they are often of the easy, lacklustre kind and obviously don’t fire us up.
And that’s where this next quote comes in: ‘Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.’ Yes friends, our dreams, the things we would like to acquire or do, are extremely important, and they are the things that should usually become our goals, because they will inspire us to get up and get a move on. And the second part of the quote does have some truth to it.
Generally speaking, you must be able to imagine something before you can do it. You don’t always need to see the finished product, but there must be ideas about whatever you want to accomplish continually buzzing about in your head. Otherwise, you won’t have the necessary incentive to keep working on it.
That’s why the following quote is important. ‘The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.’ No doubt about that friends. You just have to look around at all the amazing inventions in our current world to see it. They were created by those who were thinking ahead. They had an idea, a dream, a goal, to make something better, or do something differently, and they kept working at it, despite numerous failures, until they succeeded. A good example of that is the vast and tentacle-like network of social media we have nowadays. Some people saw the possibilities and took advantage of their opportunities. That’s what it takes to be successful in this world.
And the same thing goes for believers in Christ Jesus. We also need to be forward thinking; seriously gauging possibilities and seeking opportunities to bring others to the knowledge of Christ. That’s our job as His earthly messengers and ambassadors. So don’t think for one moment that Christians don’t also need dreams, goals and successful operations in Jesus’ name. We just have to do them within His framework; that of His holy word.
His church is His big organization here on earth. But how is that working eh? Not as good as it ought to. It cannot, with all the divisions, disunity, strife, anger and evil that’s currently going on in it. And one would think that in these terrible times, the church of Christ would take the obvious opportunity to be a calming, settling and uniting force, working to bring peace, LOVE and the Spirit of Jesus to the situation. But unfortunately, it is just as divisive and strife filled as the rest of the world.
What can we as individuals do eh? Not a whole lot, except sincerely show Christ to those around us and pray. And what we call our Serenity Prayer is the last of our quotes for today. So, let’s pray it nuh. ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’
Yes my fellow saints, that’s why Cousin Sol advises us through the Good Book that: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,’ (Prov. 4:7) It’s absolutely imperative that in in these dangerous, evil and ungodly times that the children of God seek His wisdom and learn what we need to do, by studying His word, talking to Him, and being led by His Holy Spirit.
This is an opportunity for all true believers to step up to the plate and make a real good and Christ-like difference in the lives of others and in our scarred and scared world. That’s what Jesus is expecting of us. So please, let’s not disappoint Him nuh. Much LOVE!
…when things are getting out of hand…that’s when Christians step up and take control…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are open and naked before God, believers remind sinners of their sin, cometh the wrath of God, consumed by the evil enemy, darkness keeps one trapped in sin, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, endure to the end, everyone that doeth evil hateth light, glad to be alive, halfway home, have no fellowship, have seen a great light, heralded the coming of Jesus, Jesus chases the evil darkness away, light brings truth and happiness, light exposes the darkness of sin, LOVE, men loved darkness rather than light, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved, not turning back, not wanting to know the truth, now ye are light in the Lord, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, rebels in our hearts, running to hide from God, scatter like roaches exposed to daylight, separated from God by sin, the breath of life, the light is come into the world, the light of the world, the people that walked in darkness, the Prince of Peace, the unfruitful works of darkness, their deeds were evil, this is the condemnation, to a glorious future with Jesus, upon the children of disobedience, upon them hath a light shined, walk as children of light, Wednesday Wail, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
No more rain…And the sun is finally peeking out…Glory! Oh, the dark clouds are not all gone, but there is a great possibility of light, (smile) much more than we’ve had for the past few days. And that’s exactly how our Jesus comes and shines through our personal darkness. When we think that there is no hope, that the darkness will overwhelm us, He shows up unexpectedly with the bright light of His presence and chases the evil darkness away! Give Him some thanks and praise my faithful brethren for He is indeed a Saviour to those whose lives are consumed by the evil enemy.
As the prophet Isiah so prophetically declared long ago, re 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 a light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And that’s one of the most potent and prophetic prophecies ever prophesied! (smile) It heralded the coming of Jesus…the light of the world!
But the sad news is that, as Jesus said: ‘And this is the condemnation that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed).’ (John 3:19-20)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! Those of us with evil deeds in our repertoire hate the light and will refuse to accept Jesus because we are afraid that those evil deeds will be exposed, for that’s what light does; it exposes the darkness, the sin, the evil in our souls! And we are not talking about physical light, but spiritual light, ‘light that shines on our hearts.’
I like how this article on thebereancall.org website with a conversation between Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon describes the situation. T. A. McMahon says: ‘And men loved darkness rather than light. Dave, is this in the statistical manual it talked about earlier? (Referring there to a manual on the power of DNA to operate without words or a language).
Dave Hunt replies: ‘Yeah, they don’t want to know the truth. I would say that whole statistical manual is a witness to this fact; men loved darkness rather than light. Instead of accepting the truth that we are separated from God by sin, that we are rebels in our hearts, that we need to be reconciled to God, we need to recognize that Jesus Christ is God who became a man to die for our sins, paid the penalty for our sins, died for our sins, rose from the dead and we open our hearts to Him and we allow Him to come in and He changes us completely.
We are born again of the Word of God, Peter says. This Word that brings understanding, the truth that is the light that Jesus brought. Now, it says they hated me without a cause because the light of Jesus Christ shows up the darkness, the darkness being what? Well, rebellion against God, running to hide from God, not wanting to know the truth and so forth.’
Now this passage from an article on the subject on the mtvchurchofchrist.org, further enlightens us. ‘The reason for the world’s LOVE affair with darkness is that it hides sin, or so it is believed. As long as it is dark, as long as there is no light of truth, those in sin can perpetuate their evil. But let one beam of truth pierce the darkness of sin and error, let one ray of goodness break through, and those in darkness scatter like so many roaches exposed to daylight. But the feeling of having hidden sin is only an illusion, for all things are open and naked before God (Heb. 4:13).’
And I’ll just insert that verse here. ‘Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from his sight): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb. 4:13) So, as we well know, there is absolutely no hiding from God, but many of us still foolishly try to retain the illusion.
The article then continues with this interesting slant. It says: ‘One of the reasons, if not the main reason, those in the world often feel uncomfortable around faithful Christians is that the faithful child of God reminds sinners of their sins. The faithful child of God might well feel uncomfortable around the sinner, as well (Eph. 5:11).’ Oh friends, I surely hope we do feel uncomfortable around evil doers, but nonetheless show them the light of Christ shining through our words and actions.
And to substantiate all that we’ve said, let’s listen to the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus on the ways of the believer. ‘Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.’ (Eph. 5:6-12)
Yes my brethren, once upon a time we too walked in darkness, but then we saw the light of Christ, and our lives were transformed. And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘5:8. Our knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness. 5:10. Because of constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord.
5:11. Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences. 5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.’
Ah my fellow saints, I do hope that all the above has now elucidated and enlightened us about walking in darkness and light, (smile) so that we are now capable of making good decisions on it. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to walk in the light, let’s go home declaring (oh yes!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful 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 believe me, if we endure until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. So please, let’s hang in there my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!
…if light brings truth and happiness…why fool with darkness…which only keeps one trapped in sin and rebellion towards God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, be of good cheer, being confident of this very thing, casting all your care upon him, cleanse your hands ye sinners, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, draw nigh to God, eternal freedom, even unto the end of the world, for he is faithful that promised, he may exalt you in due time, he that cometh to God, he which hath begun a good work, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the beloved of god, i have overcome the world, I'm not what people say about me, if god be for us who can be against us, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lo I am always with you, LOVE, must believe he exists, never to leave nor forsake us, no one can take that from me, no sign of the sun, not what I do, not what I have, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, relief from this sinful world, resist the devil, share His love with the world, Stay with God, submit yourselves to God, the Christian's eternal security, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, will perform it until the day of Jesus, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
Well, after two days of almost steady rain, it’s finally eased up. But everything is still wet, and the skies are still dark, no sign of the sun, so who knows what’s going to happen next. The good thing though is that despite what we see or feel, or what may come our way, the wise thing to do is to stay with God! He controls everything and has promised to not allow more than we can bear to come upon us. He will give us the strength to overcome. A strength that we never knew we had. That’s why Bruh Paul says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13)
And don’t forget this most marvellous promise either from Peter: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, when things get rough, or we just don’t know what do, wisdom dictates that we lose our inherent pride and arrogance, and humble ourselves before our heavenly Father, because He cares for us, even more than our earthly parents. We have life in Him, there’s hope, a bright future, and the awesome promise never to leave nor forsake us!
Oh my people, Jesus promised it in so many words: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) So we have no reason to fear or feel lost in the turmoil of this current world. That is, if we put our lives in God’s hands, let Him lead and guide us through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. He is always there for us, but we have to go to Him, and stay with Him, fully believing that He can and will do all that He has promised. Remember, walking with God calls for faith, for trust and surrender.
As Hebrews so clearly puts it: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (that He exists), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And then you ask, what then is this faith you talk about? It’s just believing for things that you don’t see, things that God’s promised, and waiting expectantly for them. For as Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
Yes, my fellow believers, we very much need to stand strong in our faith, because life is never easy, therefore, we need someone more powerful than us to help us walk through it successfully. And who is more powerful than Jesus eh? NOBODY! He conquered hell, death and the grave through His triumphant resurrection on the Easter morning so long ago. That’s why He could make this amazing statement: ‘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)
Oh my brethren, who else could make such a truthful statement eh? No one but Jesus, because He did exactly what He said! That means no matter what happens we can rest assured that God is working in our lives for our good. Bruh Paul told us that in his epistle to the church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Yes my fellow saints, if we LOVE God, put our lives in His awesome hands and try our best to walk in faith with Him, then He will eventually work everything out for our good.
So, though the rains pour down, the skies stay dark and life seems forsaken, do not believe that all is lost, for when Christ is in your life, nothing is ever lost! It might be misplaced for a while, but NEVER lost, because Jesus has faithfully promised that it won’t be. And He never makes idle promises. Why would Father God send His only Son to die on the cross that we might be forgiven, then leave us in the lurch after that eh?
No way! Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear to the Roman church when he wrote: ‘What shall we then say to these things (that God has done for us through Jesus, like justification, sanctification and reconciliation)? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
That’s only common-sense friends. Why would God put Himself out for us, then just leave us to fend for ourselves afterwards eh? No reason whatsoever, since that’s not the kind of God He is. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in his epistle to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Oh, how wonderful that is my fellow believers; that the Lord will continue working in us, offering us His grace, LOVE and all that we need until Christ returns!
And as the scholars explain: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’ Glory be, mih people! The Lord’s plans for us will not be thwarted! You can’t beat that news! But that means we must also play our part in the partnership. As James advises: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw night (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8)
So friends, our role is basically to stay close to God, and if we do, He will work everything out for our good. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to stay attached to God, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong. As one strong, confident 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!’
And the upshot of that declaration (yeah!!!) is that we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…there is relief from this sinful world…and eternal freedom in the next…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving gracious God, according to his riches in glory, all these things will be added unto you, ambassadors of Christ, confident Christians, erred from the faith, for His name's sake, glorify your father in heaven, hate the one and love the other, hear and answer our prayers, hope not to die without Christ, humble servants, humility, in a splendid manner, Jehovah Rapha, just to do His bidding, Let your light so shine before men, living for Christ, LOVE, material possessions, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my God shall supply all your needs, no man can serve two masters, ours is not to reason or wonder why, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, sacrifices and hardships we endure, see your good works, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, store treasure in heaven, take the bull by the horns, the attirude of enslavement toward wealth, the ever-watchful eye, the God who heals, the grace and peace of Christ Jesus, the love of money is the root of all evil, time of need, we have all sinned, wet and windy Monday morning, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Matthew 6:24b. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).
The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be unto you, my fellow believers, on this wet and windy Monday morning in early October of this confusing and crazy year of 2021! And the universe is moving along as it should, under the ever-watchful eye of its magnificent and majestic Creator, Almighty God! We know that nothing happens in the universe unless He sets it in motion, or allows it, for whatever reason He sees fit.
So, ours is not to reason or wonder why, but just to do His bidding and hope not to die without receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That says it all friends: our earthly responsibility is to believe in Christ and live a life that is worthy of Him. When we do that, when we make it our first priority, then everything else falls into place. Like Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
That’s a faithful promise. Anytime you concentrate on living for Christ, the Lord will take care of all your needs. Bruh Paul emphasized that in his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes, my faithful brethren, when we are faithful to God, He is also faithful to us. He sees the sacrifices and hardships we endure for His name’s sake and will meet our need according to His riches.
The scholars tell us: ‘that is, in proportion to His unlimited resources. He will meet our needs in glory, that’s ‘gloriously, in a splendid manner, by Christ Jesus.’ What more can we ask for eh? Not a whole lot! However, with that scripture, we must remember that the Good Book is speaking primarily of needs, of the necessities for living, not our fleshly and lustful wants or desires.
There can be a big difference between needs and wants, especially in this ever so materialistic and ungodly world. And that’s why Jesus also made it clear that ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And that’s just a simple fact of nature, of logic, my brethren. You cannot run after two things with the same intensity at the same time, one of them will inevitably suffer.
Now hear the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe that he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s own material possessions. A master is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
And sadly, our world today, is maximizing the promotion of total enslavement to wealth and possessions, causing us to strive after money as the goal of life. That’s why these times are so ungodly. No wonder Bruh Paul cautioned Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (caused themselves to be ruined).’ (2 Tim. 6:10)
Remember, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. So, if we are serving mammon to such a great extent, it’s obvious that God will be left far behind, in the lurch, in the dust. And where does that leave us eh friends? In a tough situation. But, as strong and confident Christians, ambassadors of Christ, we will not give up, but keep fighting to get others to come to Jesus, by living godly and righteous lives, and letting His awesome light shine through us, as we cover the earth with His salt. (smile)
For isn’t that how He referred to us? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13a, 14a, 16) And that takes us right back to what we said at the beginning; ours is just to receive Christ and do the Father’s bidding. But unfortunately, we are not doing that as much as we ought to, and that’s why the enemy is in ascendance right now in the world; why the LOVE for money, power and material possessions is so great, and the desire for the things of God way down on the totem pole.
However, today is as good a day as any other to take the bull by the horns and begin to turn things around. And prayer is where we begin; it’s always the place to start. So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace for help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, in this our desperate time of need. 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.
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!’
And please remember my fellow saints, that the answers to our prayer all hinge on our sincerity, humility, repentance and truly seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…it’s much wiser to store treasure in heaven…where it cannot rot or be stolen…than down here on earth…where it rots and is continually stolen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an earful of praise and worship, bindeth up their wounds, boundless stores of grace, drives away our fear, find grace to help in time of need, friend, greater love hath no man, guardian angels, he healeth the broken in heart, he that believeth on me shall never thirst, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, heals our wounds, How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, I am the bread of life, is become the chief cornerstone, John Newton, keep all my commandments always, lay down his life for his friends, let us therefore come boldly, LOVE, manna to the hungry soul, may the music of your name, My end, my high tower, my life, My Lord, My Way, O that there were such a heart in them, obtain mercy, priest and king, propeht, refresh my soul in death, sacrificial praise, shepherd, soothes our aorrows, that it might be well with them, that they would fear me, the day of the Lord, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the stone the builders refused, unto the throne of grace
John 6:35. I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
It’s that beautiful day of the Lord again friends – Sunday! And all God’s children shouted a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks, praise and honour be unto our wonderful heavenly Father, who created us in His marvellous image and blesses us with all we need to see life through, here on earth! We LOVE You and bless Your holy name on this Your day, as we gather to worship You, either physically in your sanctuary or by technological means.
There’s no distance in prayer nor worship, so it doesn’t matter whether we are together or far away, our prayers and worship still come as one to Your waiting ears and excited, expectant heart! That’s because we know Your great LOVE for us, and Your desire for us to only be blessed and not cursed, as You told Moses way back when. ‘O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever.’ (Deut. 5:29)
Yes Lord, we know that the cockles of Your heart are warmed when we live the way You desire of us, that’s why today we come to give you an earful of praise and worship. So please listen up Lord and accept our thanks and praise which sincerely come from the depths of our hearts. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
And our opening song of praise is one we know so well, and sincerely LOVE. It was written in the 18th century by that old rapscallion and slave trader turned slave abolitionist by God’s mighty hand. We’re talking about John Newton (1725-1807), the writer of that other masterpiece, ‘Amazing Grace.’ Today though, we’ll raise our voices in sacrificial praise to ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,’ another of Newton’s beautiful hymns. That’s God’s mysterious working, where He takes pleasure in turning notorious sinners into amazing saints! Think of Bruh Paul.
So, in soulful harmony, in an up-tempo riddim, because it’s a song that conveys joy, let’s sing. ‘‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace.
O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death… and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death…’
Ah friends, that was wonderful, because it was indeed sincere, and the name of Jesus sounds ever so sweet to our ears, as He is our Everything! As the song says, He’s our ‘Shepherd, Guardian, Friend, Prophet, Priest and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End.’ The only thing that’s probably left out is ‘Brother,’ and some versions do sing ‘Brother’ instead of ‘Guardian.’ So, when we say He is indeed our everything, it’s certainly no lie!
And though the song is fairly short it is chocked full of biblical references. So let’s check out a few. We’ll begin with Peter’s confident words to the High Priest. ‘This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (the chief cornerstone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:11-12) Wow friends! Under those circumstances, what sweeter name can there be to us believers eh? None whatsoever!
And when the hymn talks about manna to the hungry soul, it refers to the Lord providing manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness in Exodus 16. But when the people brought their arguments to Jesus about Moses giving their ancestors bread from heaven to eat. He calmly disputed them by saying. ‘Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world. Then said they unto him, Lord evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:31-35)
Ah mih people, Jesus is indeed manna to our hungry souls, for when we believe in Him, we neither hunger nor thirst spiritually! And we know what Psalm 147:3 says: ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows).’ Now, it’s obvious that talking about giving rest to the weary, refers to Matthew 11:28, where Jesus declares His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
And when we talking about building on the rock that’s Jesus, nobody says it better than Bruh David in Psalm 18. ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (lit. rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (fortress).’ (Ps. 18:3) You can’t get any more faith and trust than that.
Now what about Jesus being our priest eh? Listen to the author of Hebrews. ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into 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)
What a wonderful person is our Jesus! He can sympathize with all our problems, yet be without sin. Now that’s an exceedingly good thing, otherwise He would not be able to redeem us. And we’ll do one last scripture, that’s where Jesus considers us friends. He clearly says to the disciples: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ (John 15:13-15)
And there are lots more scriptures that we can pluck from the skillfully created masterpiece of John Newton. I would suggest some valuable homework; you look through the song yourself and see what other scripture references you can find. That ought to be an interesting task for a quiet Sunday afternoon (smile). Much LOVE!
…there’s no greater or sweeter sounding name in all the world…than that of…JESUS…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
